SERIES OF FRAUDS

Evening Star, Issue 22896, 2 March 1938, Page 13

SERIES OF FRAUDS

ISSUE OF VALUELESS CHEQUES ACCUSED'S LENGTHY LIST Released from gaol on February 4, Henry Ernest Ferguson Samuel Lee at once set about issuing valueless cheques which brought him before the Police Court again to-day, when he received a further sentence of six months’ imprisonment on each of two charges, the sentences to be cumulative.

Five charges of false pretence were preferred against the accused as follow: February 5, at Christchurch, obtained from Edwin Blyth Buckhurst, goods to' the value of £1 and £ll in money by falsely representing that a cheque drawn on the Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd., Christchurch, in favour of G. Banks, and purporting to be signed by Charles Clifford, was a good and valid order; February 13, at Dunedin, similarly obtained £5 from Douglas Gordon Tyler by falsely representing that a cheque drawn -on the Union Bank of Australia, Wellington, for the amount of £5 was a good and valid order for that amount; February 4, at Christchurch, obtained from Beath and Co. Ltd. goods to the value of £5 15s 3d and money amounting to £5 14s 9d, by means of a valueless cheque drawn on the Union “Bank of Australia Ltd. for £ll, purporting to be signed by L. R. C. MacFarlane; February 14, obtained from John Simpson, at Dunedin, goods to the value of £1 11s and 10s in money by means of ‘a valueless cheque for £lO, drawn on the Union Bank of Australia, Wellington, purporting to be signed by H. J. Grey; February 16, at Christchurch, obtained from William Hayward £ll in money by means of a valueless cheque for £ll, drawn on the National Bank of New Zealand Ltd., Christchurch, purporting to bo signed by Charles Clifford.

Mr 0. G. Stevens appeared for the accused, who pleaded guilty to all the charges. Detective-sergeant Hall detailed the offences committed by the accused, and said that in respect of the goods and money obtained by the accused from Beath and Co., he represented that the cheque was for wages. In several other instances, he obtained blank cheques and filled them in for varying amounts. When he went to William Hayward in Christchurch, he said he had been working at Stonyhurst and was told to cash a cheque with him. Hayward, a taxi driver, believed that the representations were genuine, and handed out £ll in money. On February 13, at Dunedin, representing that he was a business man from Wellington and that he was travelling for White Horse Whisky, the accused obtained £5 for a butcher named Tyler, in Stafford street. The following day he made out a cheque for £lO and represented that he was a business man, inducing John Simpson to take a cheque in payment for liquour for £1 11s, and also receiving 10s in money. Simpson agreed to put it through the bank and hand over the balance when it was ascertained that the cheque was a genuine one.

The accused was then In company with a man named Todd, from Miller’s Flat, and he gave Todd another valueless cheque in payment of some money he borrowed from him, but no charge was laid, said Mr Hall.

“ The accused has a lengthy list,” said the Detective Sergeant. He came out of gaol on February 4 last, and the same evening began this series of crimes. Altogether he had over 20 convictions, The total amount involved in this series of frauds was £4l Is. Mr Stevens said the accused was a labourer, 32 years of age, and it was difficult to understand the mentality of a .person who came out of gaol in the morning and started crime the same night. The reason might have been that he came out with £3 and commenced to drink.

The magistrate (Mr J. R. Bartholomew) ; There may be another reason—it may have seemed easy money issuing these cheques.

Mr Stevens said that the accused could not get work in Christchurch, and it was extraordinary the ease with which he got cheque forms and induced people to cash them. On the first charge the accused was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, and a similar sentence was imposed on the second, this to be cumulative with the first. He was convicted on the other charges.