FORGED "TOTE” TICKETS

Evening Star, Issue 21080, 18 April 1932, Page 10

FORGED "TOTE” TICKETS

ELDERLY MAN ADMITS DEFENCE PROBATION FOR TWO YEARS Robert Jolly, sixty-two years of age, was tbis morning admitted to probation for two years on a charge of attempting to utter forged documents. The offence was an attempt to cash forged totalisator tickets. Counsel for Jolly said the prisoner was sixty-two years of age. For some time Jolly had been in difficult circumstances, though he had done his best to maintain his independence in his declining years. In May last he had been on relief work, and later he had done some canvassing, for which he was lucky if he made a pound a week. In his statement to the police the prisoner had said he Was handed the tickets by another man. The prisoner had allowed himself to be used as a cat’s paw. The Crown Presecutor said the accused gave the name of another man to the police after he had first refused to give any name., ( Counsel for accused said Jolly might be said to have adopted the idea of ■“ honour among thieves ” in refusing at first to give the name of the other man. The probation officer reported that Jolly had no particular vices such as gambling, drinking, etc. The Crown Prosecutor pointed out that the accused first refused to disclose the name of the other man, but finally did so. There was no evidence .whatever against the other man, except the statement of the accused. It was ascertained that the accused and another man went from shop to shop in the city some time prior to the race meeting searching for suitable rubber stamps with which to alter the tickets. It was obvious that it was a carefullyarranged plan, but it was discovered on the first occasion on which tho forged tickets were used. No doubt the original intention was that the scheme was to be much more extensively used than had proved the case. His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy asked if this type of offence was common in New Zealand or in this locality. The Crown Prosecutor replied that he was informed by the police that no such offence had been committed in the South Island for years. Of his own knowledge there had been no such case before the court hero for tho past ten years. His Honour, in passing sentence, said that, were the offence a common one, he would have found it necessary as a deterrent to others to sentence Jolly to imprisonment. He would take into account the fact that Jolly’s characer and conduct for tho past sixty-two years had been good. No_ doubt this lapse stood alone. Probation was recommended by the probation officer, and His Honour proposed to adopt that recommendation. Jolly would bo released upon probation for two years, upon tho usual statutory conditions, and upon the special condition that ho paid the costs of tho prosecution (£1 10s), by .weekly instalments.