SOLICITOR CHARGED

Evening Star, Issue 19615, 22 July 1927, Page 8

SOLICITOR CHARGED

trust account deficiency [Per united Press Association.]GISBORNE, July 22. John Noden Bullard, a solicitor, was charged before Mr Levycy, S.M,. in the Police Court this morning with fraudulently omitting to account for sums aggregating £1,308. It was alleged that tho offences were spread over three years. Accused conducted las own case, and stated that he intended to plead guilty. Detective M‘Leod stated that accused had been in practice in Gisborne under the name of Mamn and Bullard. The ariiounts mentioned were in respect of rents collected by accused for clients, and for which he had failed to account. The March, 1926, audit disclosed a leficiency. From a statement made by accused, ho had endeavored to pay off tho amounts, but realising the impossibility gave himself up to the police in Juno this year. He admitted that £6,000 was owirng to various firms or private creditors. Since giving himself up he had assisted tho police in framing, the charges. Evidence was given by various clients and others who had paid money at accused’s office. William Hamilton Irvine, accountant, deposed that in March,_ 1926,. ho reported for the Law Society in regard to defendant’s trust account. There was a shortage on March 31 of £6,764, and this he reported. At January 31, 1927, a further audit disclosed a deficiency of only £1,256. In auditing the trust ledger he found the dealings impossible to understand without explanation from tho defendant, and ibis was not forthcoming. The cash hook was not kept as it should have been, and could not bo reconciled with the bank. “1 simply wish to affirm the statement handed in. - 1 plead guilty to all the charges,” said Bullard, who was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on ten charges of theft by misappropriation. Prisoner, in his signed statement to the inspector of police, stated that he had paid up demands on tho firm after the death of his partner, although in many of these cases ho had,no personal liability for the shortages. For this purpose he borrowed money from relatives and temporarily used clients’ monies. Tho borrowed monies were used in a hopeless attempt to save an impossible situation.