FALSE PRETENCES

Evening Star, Issue 20777, 27 April 1931, Page 8

FALSE PRETENCES

EX-OFFICER IN TROUBLE VALUELESS CHEQUES PASSED Described by bis counsel as an ex* officer with. a most distinguished war record, Patrick Corbett appeared in the Police Court this morning to face five charges of false pretences. He was represented by Mr Mark Hanan and pleaded guilty. The charges were of obtaining money by falsely representing that cheques drawn on the Invercargill Savings Bank (Riverton branch, were good and valid orders for tho various amounts. The names of the complainants and the sums involved in tie charges were:—i Ernest - Albert O’Malley (£3 . 165),William Wishart M‘Lachlan (£5), Richard John Walker (£3), Gordon Ewart M'Lean (£6 and £5). The offences were committed between April 4 and April 13, three having been committed at Riverton and the other two at Dunedin. Chief-detective Cameron explained to the court the details bf the various charges. .On April 4 Corbett went to a hotel bar in Riverton and presented a written order to the licensee's son, who refused to entertain it. He subsequently got possession of an old cheque book on the Riverton branch of the" Savings Bank, and by this means obtained credit from the licensees mentioned in the charges. When he was arrested he was in a drunken condition. He was a Vidowcr, with four children under the care of the Child Welfare department in Invercargill. He was in arrears in respect to an order for these children, but had been making a fair effort to keep the payments up. He was formerly a billiard saloon keeper in Invercargill, but had been employed latterly as a cook at a forestry camp.- Ho occasionally went on drinking bouts, and it was during one of these that he passed the cheques. “ I suggest that drink is tho trouble,” said Mr Hanan. “He came to town and seemed to have lost his head and all sense of responsibility.” All the money was spent with hotelkeepers. Corbett had made a clean breast of things and had given no trouble. He had already spent nine days in custody. The accused Had a most distinguished record. He left witli tho Main Body as a private and was promoted to officer’s rank on the field. _ He. was subsequently awarded the military cross for conspicuous gallantry, and was later wounded. Mr Cameron said that Corbett was suffering considerably from liquor when he was arrested, but the nine days in custody had had a sobering effect on him. The magistrate intimated that h® wished to look into the case and stood it down until the afternoon. When the court resumed, His Worship said that he wished the Probation Officer in Invercargill to submit a report, and accordingly directed that Corbett should be remanded in custody until Friday.