BAILIFF CHARGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 14, 16 July 1937, Page 16

BAILIFF CHARGED

THEFT ALLEGED

A court bailiff employed at - Wellington, Arthur Kingley Bell,.aged 40, was charged in' the Magistrate's Court yesterday with receiving from a lady on June 15 the- sum of £6 6s.4don terms requiring him to account for the same to the. clerk of the Magistrate's Court and with fraudulently omitting to account for the money, thereby committing theft. . Mr. W. F. Stilwell.S.M., was on the bench. . ' Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle, who prosecuted, asked for a remand until Thursday, July 22, and this was granted. . ■ Mr. E. "W. Watterson, who appeared for Bell, asked for suppression of the name of the accused until the date of hearing. Detective-Sergeant Doyle opposed the application. "The accused was a public servant occupying a* position of trust," he said.^ "It would not be in the public interest to suppress his name." ■ ■ ' Detective-Sergeant Doyle added that Bell was a permanent.Court bailiff employed in Wellington. It was alleged that he had served a civil summons on "a lady for a debt. His duty ended there, but on a subsequent visit he collected money from the lady. The accused had gone without leave to Christchurch and had there been' arrested" on'"a charge of drunkenness. While under arrest he had. told the police that he was liable ito account to the Wellington Court for the sum of £24.' The Magistrate in Christ : church had refused to suppress the name of the accused. Mr. Watterson said that one statement by the detective-sergeant was misleading. It could not be'suggested that the accused went to'Christchurch immediately after the alleged failure to account. ' ' . On the application of Mr. Watterson, the accused was admitted to bail in! one sum of £50 and one surety of £50. The application for the suppression of his name was refused. .