WOMAN CHARGED

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 February 1930, Page 11

WOMAN CHARGED

FRAUDULENT HIRE OF CAR. MELBOURNE, January 28. Alice Thelma Brown, aged 19 years, married, of Lothian Street, North Melbourne, pleaded guilty at the City Court to-day to a charge of having obtained the hire of a motor car by fraud. She was discharged because the car was obtained in f New South Wales. Stanislaus Clement Spies, garage proprietor/ of Ashfield, New South Wales, said that on January 23 he received a telephone message from a woman who gave the name of Mrs Brown. She said that she had received a message that her father was dying, and she wanted life reach Melbourne as (illicitly as possible. She added that she could give no guarantee of payment, as she knew nobody in Sydney, but she assured witness that tlio money would bo waiting in Melbourne. Later in the day, at Petersham, Brown assured witnes’s father that her people were in a- position to pay the fave of £45, and witness undertook the trip on those terms. They arrived at Westgarth Street, Fitzroy, on .January 24. Brown left tlie car and walked up a side passage. She returned a few minutes later, saying that her people had not sufficient money in th© house to pay the fare, and she asked witness to meet her at the house at 11.30 that morning. He returned to the house at the time arranged, but having made inquiries, he found that no woman named Brown was known. Mr Rogers, P.M., said that as the fraud was committed in New South Wales, he must dismiss the accused. Plainclothes Constable Rees, stationed at Fitzroy, said that Mrs Brown had admitted to him that her action was despicable. Mr Rogers: We regret that we cannot. deal with this matter. Our sympathies are entirely with the garage proprietor. Brown is a wicked woman. It was a despicable action, but the procuration of a car happened on the other side of the border. She is discharged, but we cannot say that she is discharged without a stain on her character.