TRIAL OF COMPANY DIRECTOR

Evening Star, Issue 25032, 26 November 1943, Page 2

TRIAL OF COMPANY DIRECTOR

FIFTH DAY OF HEARING CASE FOR PROSECUTION CLOSED The last witness for the prosecution began his evidence in the trial of Stanley Reginald. Burns, a company director, on charges of false pretences and publishing false balance sheets yesterday afternoon 'before Mr Justice Kennedy and a special jury. Mr F. B. Adams is prosecuting on behalf of the Grown, and Mr C. S. Thomas, of Christchurch, with him Mr G. V. Murdoch; is appearing for the accused. Evidence of an interview with the accused in Christchurch last July was given by Senior-detective T. Y. Hall. He said he told the accused that he had a list of questious written out/and he asked the accused to accompany him to the official assignee's office. Tiie accused said he would not say anything until he had. seen his .solicitor, and added that "they are railroading mo to gaol." The accused said he would have no objection to witness seeing the books of the companies which he was associated. The accused was shown the balance sheets of S. It. (Burns and Co. for 1937, 1938, and 1939, and told him that charges might be preferred against him in connection with them. Subsequently the accused answered a number of questions, and witness told him of the other allegations relating to the false pretences charges. The accused declined to make any further explanation. Senior-detective Hall said he arrested the accused on August 24 last at his ",baeh" in George street, New Brighton. He found the script books of Rentals, Incomes, and Estates Ltd. and Organisers Ltd. in a shed. The account books of these companies and Eudora Ltd. were obtained through the accused's solicitor, and later live bundles of account books were handed over. The books of the various companies were all mixed up. Evidence of the filing of a statement of the affairs of S. It. Burns and Co. in January, 1941. was given by John Louis Wellbrock Gerken, formerly deputy-registrar of the Supreme Court at Dunedin, but now a member of tlie Royal New Zealand Air Force. The witness said he had assisted the then official assignee to liquidate the company. The sum realised by the receiver was £5,786 3s 2d, and by the liquidator £434 13s, while it was expected that £3.260 would be obtained from four mortgages in Christchurch and the proceeds of the sale of a section in Invercargill.