THEFT CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 75, 25 September 1942, Page 3

THEFT CHARGES

AGAINST EX-BUYER

HEARING ADJOURNED

With one more witness, who was ill yesjterday, still to be heard, the Crown case against Raymond John Watts, aged 28, |an Air Force sergeant, who is charged with theft from Woolworths (N:Z.), Ltd., by whom he was formerly employed as a buyer, was adjourned yesterday afternoon until next Wednesday. There are ten charges of theft, ten- charges of failure to account, for money, one of forgery, and one of accepting a bribe. The total amount •involved in the theft charges is approximately £16,220. Watts is represented by Mr. G.-Joseph.

Mr. W. H. Cunningham, the Crown Prosecutor, conducted the prosecution, and Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., was on the Bench.

Robert Alexander Beli. a manufacturers' representative, said he had shared profits with Tasker when the latter put transactions through him as a licensed wholesaler. He gave details of'transactions; with Tasker."

Prudence Karen D'udding, a stenographer, said that in April,' 1941, she was working ~in .Woolworths' head office. It was part of her duty to issue receipts for money. She identified a carbon copy .of a receipt made out in her writing for £6'ss, dated April '23, 1941. Watts had brought her £6 5s and given it to her, asking her to make out a receipt for head office expenses. The top copy of the receipt, made out for £60 ss, had been altered. Abraham ■ Greenberg, a soft goods manufacturer and. ■proprietor of the. Moon Girdle Co., said he remembered buying shioze from Watts for £60 5s cash. He.identified the receipt.he got from. Watts. The receipt was made out to head office expenses, but witness did not notice that when he got it.

Detective-Sergeant Eric Henry Compton ' said he saw Watts in July regarding the offences with which he was now charged. Giles wa.s with witness. Watts made a■ statement which he read over and said was true, but which he would .not sign. Later witness again saw the accused, who said he would not sign the statement, though he said it was true, but he did not have the sanction of his solicitor to sign it. The witness produced and reaa the statement, which said that Watts had received money for goods sold and did not pay it to Wool worths but kept it, for himself. After a man named McKenzie had been employed at Woolworths lor about six or nine months Watts revealed to ..Him that •he was making money in the way' he' had described. They then came to a general arrangement that McKenzie would at times receive a- portion of the profits made in that way. Watts could not remember any specific amounts he gave McKenzie,' but they were quite substantial. ~ , • In another statement, which the detective-sergeant said Watts had made but would not sign, and which^the detective-sergeant read in Court, Watts said he was anxious to do a good turn for Greenberg because he had done him (Watts) some good turns. ■ Greenberg had obtained benzine for him and had arranged for him to get some money to Australia when he went there for a trip. Every time Greenberg- saw him he would worry him (Watts) to sell him goods. Greenberg mentioned that if Watts, when he was in the Army, could pick up any stuff, Greenberg would look after his interest.