PROBATION GRANTED

Evening Star, Issue 20558, 9 August 1930, Page 14

PROBATION GRANTED

CHARGE OF FALSE PRETENCES “ AN EXCEPTIONAL COURSE " Three years’ probation was granted Robert Henry Brockie, who appeared for sentence in the Police Court this morning on a charge of obtaining £1 2s fid by false pretences from Margaret Eugenie Buie. The accused was further charged today that h© obtained £2 7s fid from William Brown by falsely representing that ho was from the Dominion Sales Agency, and that an exercise book containing complainant’s advertisement would be published within six weeks. Chief-detective Cameron said that they had received _ numbers of, complaints under similar circumstances, and a further charge for an amount of over £2 had been put forward. All the circumstances were similar. Tho accused canvassed for advertisements for exercise books to be placed in various schools throughout the dominion. After perusing a statement handed up to him from the accused, tho Magistrate (Mr J. 11. Bartholomew, S.M.) remarked on tho fact that tho accused had served several previous sentences, and in the interests of the public it might bo as well if another sentence was imposed. However,, accused ■ did not seem to have been beneficially affected in the past by the penalties, and there was no doubt that tho pre-. sent offence had been committed unde 1 - the stress of adverse circumstances. That was no excuse, of course, but after considering all tho factors of the case he felt justified in taking an exceptional course iu this instance. The accused, in view of Ins domestic position, would be placed upon three years’ probation and given a chance to take on proper habits and get into the way of working as he should, thus making himself a useful citizen. His Worship detailed the special conditions upon which probation would be granted, and stated that if the accused secured steady work proper restitution would have to be made. Probation would be granted on the second charge, and on the other the accused w'ould b© convicted and discharged.