YOUNG SPENDTHRIFT

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 June 1937, Page 16

YOUNG SPENDTHRIFT

LEGACY SQUANDERED [I’ER press association.] AUCKLAND. June 23. After spending £3.500 left to him Dree years ago, a well-known Auckland footballer, Andrew Johnstone Fletcher, a salesman, aged 24, appeared in the Police Court on five charges of obtaining sums of money totalling £l6 in May and June by means of valueless cheques. He was placed on probation for two years and oi tiered to make restitution of th'.' £l6. Fletcher pleaded guilty to all charges. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said that Fletcher was born at Vavau. Ton ga‘. He received a good secondary school education, and at the age of 21. he received £3.500. His father, now dead, was a merchant at Tonga, where the accused's mother still lived. “This young man has been leading a high life in Auckland, and he has squandered the. whole' of the large sum left to him.’’ said Detective-Ser-geant McHugh. “He had an account at an Auckland bank, and in February last, he cashed a cheque and withdrew all that was left, half a crown. In May he was financially embarrassed, and foolishly decided to issue cheques to obtain some ready money. Inquiries made by the police about, this young man show that he ‘ has been loading an idle life in Auckland. .. Arotjnd town he is regarded as ’one of the hoys.’ -e. was a prominent footballer, and is in a good state of physical ’ fitness and quite capable of doing hard work. Our inquiries show that he has been going very fast: it is no wonder he has gone through all his money." “There is an old dictum that says a fool and his money are soon parted. This applies in-this case,” said Mr.

Bryce Hart, on behaii of Fletcher. “I think Fletcher’s many friends assisted him to spend his money. Unfortunately he received this money at tlit* fickle age of 21. He has never ap preciated the value of money. His alleged friends have assisted him materially to spend it. Fletcher has been educated in everything except in the art of retaining money. He simply ran riot with his cheque book after getting the £3,500. lie had everything a young man could wish for, including a motor-car. All he had to do was to write a cheque when he wanted to ouy anything, but he had no tuition at all in even the basic principles of economics, and now he finds himself quite unskilled in any particular work. It is his earnest desire to obtain work so that he can reimburse those from whom he got a total of £l6. Ido not think there will be any difficulty in his obtaining a position and earning the money with which to make restitution. lie has 'alreadv been in prison for more than a week on remand, and he has had a good taste of it. As Fletcher has borne an unmemished character until now. I would ask that he might be admitted to probation. Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M.: He has been short of money for some months. Has he ever tried to get work? ‘ Mr. Hart: Oh. yes. He has been in business as an advertising agent, but apparently it was only a hand-to-mouth existence. I suggest that an appropriate form of punishment would be to admit-hint to probation, so that ne could earn enough to repay the money himself. dir-admitting the accused to probation. the Magistrate expressed the hope that ho would make good.