£11,00 EMBEZZLED

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 February 1939, Page 3

£11,00 EMBEZZLED

FRIENDLY SOCIETY TREASURER A plea, that his 69-year-old wife would be left, "alone and penniless in the world." while he was too old to make. a. fresh start, failed to save from penal servitude a former Income Tax Department official who, ’at. Edinburgh High Court, was charged with embezzling £ 11,368.

The accused, John Hawley, aged 71. was sentenced to three years after admitting the charge, which related to money he received while acting as secretary and treasurer of the Paisley District, of the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds, Ashion Unity. Friendly Society.

His counsel said that he had been enployed as an income tax official in Paisley, retiring in 1927. with a. pension of .£BO a. year. 1-I'e Had been appointed official of the friendly society about 40 years ago. his remuneration as secretary and (rensurei of the district, being £l5O a. year. The trouble in which he was involved over a period of nine years started when a. lodge official found himself unable t.o pay over a sum due. Hawley, most foolishly, agreed to give the official a. receipt as though the sum had been paid. The official not only did not pay. but. fell further into arrears. Hawley did not. falsify the books to any extent, except as showing that he received money from lodges which he did not. receive.

After Hawley retired from income tax work he set up as a consultant in income tax matters. He lost L-ldui) as guarantor to a coal merchant. who had insufficient capital, and he sot up an adopted son in business, using from £s<)l) to £<il)<» of the society’s money. Like many people, he was altrm l ■•■d by "bucket shop" advertisements ajid circulars, and suffered fuel her low.;es. There was little doubt that considerable portions of the money which, was short was used by. Hawley in these transactions. Answering the Lord Justice Clerk, counsel said that the funds of the branch of the society amounted to between £34,000 and £35,000. "So the sum embezzled is more than a quarter of the total funds of the branch,” His Lordship commented.