CHARGES OF FRAUD

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1943, Page 2

CHARGES OF FRAUD

WOMAN FOR SENTENCE

Appearing on remand from Blenheim, Ethel Eleanor Ray, aged 37, married, pleaded guilty in the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court, this morning, before Mr. G. G. Chisholm, S.M., to two charges involving false pretences at Greymouth and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. She was also remanded to appear at the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, to answer a similar charge. Accused offered no defence. The charges preferred were: On March 22, at Greymouth, with intent to defraud, she did obtain front Thomas Edward Mclntosh £l5O in money by falsely representing that she owned the freehold of the premises at 111 Linwood Avenue, Christchurch, and would repay the amount [Tom the sale of this property. . On May 3, at Greymouth, with intent to defraud, she did obtain from John Tennent a written guarantee for the repayment of £l5O and did thereby obtain from Leslie Scott Robertson the sum of £l5O in money by falsely representing that she had purchased the freehold of the Gilmer Hotel at Greymouth. On the suggestion of the Magistrate the second charge, to remove ambiguity, was amended to read as follows: "On May 3, at Greymouth, with intent to defraud, accused did, by falsely representing that she had purchased the freehold of the Gilmer Hotel, obtain from John Tennent a written guarantee for the repayment of £l5O and did thereby obtain the sum of £l5O in money from Leslie Scott Robertson. On June 26, at ‘Wellington, with intent to defraul, she did obtain from Margaret Macpherson Patullo the sum of £250 by falsely representing that she was one F. B. Beresford and that she required the money to purchase property. . Senior Detective H. E. Knight conducted the prosecution. In connection with the first charge, Thomas Edward Mclntosh, a cabinetmaker, of Greymouth, stated in evidence that on March 21 last he was introduced to accused at his home by his son. She stated she had come to endeavour to borrow £l5O to pay off an option on the Australasian Hotel the following morning. Witness inquired what security she could offer, and she said she owned a house at 111 Linwood Avenue, Christchurch, which she would sell within a fortnight, repaying witness from the proceeds of the sale. She had two banking accounts controlled by a solicitor at Invercargill. Witness believed the story and decided to lend £l5O on the security of the Christchurch premises. Accused made out a receipt (produced) and on witness’s behalf £l5O was paid to her the following day. Accused was living at the Golden Eagle Hotel, Greymouth, at the time. She had not made the promised repayment. On May 3, witness got accused to his home, when she informed him she had received a cheque for £950 —the proceeds from the sale of the Christchurch property—and that she had posted the cheque to her solicitor in Invercargill. From the telephone in his house she purported to talk to the solicitor in Invercargill. Witness demanded that she write a letter to the solicitor authorising him to pay witness’s money and she sat down and wrote, a letter there and then. He took a copy (produced). He sealed the original letter' and posted it under registered post for Mrs. Ray. He now knew accused left Greymouth the following day on route to Nelson and he had not received repayment of the money nor seen her again till to-day. Mrs. Ray herself suggested that she pay interest on the £l5O. He had not demanded interest on his money. Accused had no questions to ask. Witness to the Magistrate: He had never met accused before. Constable J. Wilson, Blenheim, said that on September B‘he-inter-viewed accused at St. Omer House, Marlborough Sounds, in respect to the matter now the subject of the present charge. She macle a statement which she signed (produced), saying she was married with six children, living with her husband at St. Omer House. During the early months of the year she and her husband went to Christchurch and Grevmouth for periods, staying ■at the Golden Eagle Hotel in Greymouth. She made negotiations with the licensee of the Australasian Hotel to take over the lease. She paid £5O deposit, but the agreement was cancelled and she did not enter the hotel. She* obtained a loan of £5O from Ron Mclntosh and repaid £6O Later she asked him for a loan of .£l5O and he referred her to his father. She told him she owned a house at 11 i Linwood Avenue, Christchurch, and had sold it for £950. She also told him that an Invercai’mll solicitor or herself would repay the amount. The Christchurch house- was owned, by Mr. Rhodda to whom she had paid £5O intended as a deposit, the full cost being £750. When leaving, she told Rhodda she did not intend to go on with the purchase so the £5O was retained by Rhodda for arrears of rent. She had no moral right to the house when she made her promise to Mclntosh. Witness -said accused was arrested on September 13, on a Greymouth warrant, and was remanded at Blenheim to appear here to-day. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court, Wellington for sentence.

SECOND CHARGE. On the second charge, Leslie Scott Robertson, chemist, Greymouth, said that early in March some children residing at the Golden Eagle Hotel started to make cash purchases at his shop. On May 1 accused, who gave her name as Ray, called with one of the children to obtain a medical dressing for it. Accused also made a small purchase and asked for credit saying she was temporarily short of money. She gave him to understand she was expecting a substantial sum. She called the following day and made further small purchases on credit. On May 3 she came into the shop and appeared to be in an agitated or distressed _ condition. She asked witness , if he would lend her money. He informed her he did not know her and would have to make inquiries before he would lend anything.. He suggested that he would make inquiry from a taxi-driver named Mclntosh. She asked him not to do this, as she alleged he (Mclntosh) talked too much 'about her business. Accused said she required the money to complete the purchase of some local business, but did not say what was its nature. She suggested that. Mr. John Tennent would recommend her and guarantee her if necessary and he advised her to go and see Mr. Tennent. She left the shop and returned in a very short time with a note (produced) which said Mr. Tennent was prepared to guarantee £l5O. On the strength of that he drew his own cheque for £l5O on a local bank and gave it to the woman, but before he gave it to her she verbally promised repayment within a month. The cheque was cashed and the money was drawn from his account. He now knew accused left Greymouth the following day and he had not received repayment from her. nor had he seen her till to-day. However, the amount had been repaid to him on the strength of the guarantee by Mr. Terinent. Accused had no questions to ask. John Tcnnent, jeweller, Greymouth, said he first met accused in Mai’ch, when she selected a valuable ring in his shop. She did not take

possession of it at the time, but.came back some weeks later, when she paid for it. and took possession and incidentally informed witness she was taking over the Australasian Hotel. She returned about a fortnight later, made some small purchases for cash, and informed him that the hotel deal had fallen through, but that she was purchasing the Gilmer Hotel for £5OOO with part of a legacy left to her by some relation. She returned later and informed witness she had acquired the freehold of the Gilmer Hotel, but required finance temporarily to purchase the furniture and fittings. She asked if he would lend her money, but he informed her that at the present moment he could not. On May 3 she returned and said Mr. Robertson, the chemist, was prepared to lend her money if some person would guarantee her. Believing the story to be true, witness gave her a note guaranteeing her for the sum of £l5O. She promised to redeem the loan within a fortnight and left with the note, and he had not seen her again until to-day. He had had to recompense Mr. Robertson to the extent of £l5O on the guarantee. Accused had nc questions to ask. Thomas Ryan, law clerk employed by Hannan and Seddon, Greymouth, said that in March he acted for his firm in preparing a tentative agreement between accused and the owner of the Australasian Hotel. Accused paid a small deposit, which, however, was returned to her and the option was never exercised. His firm acted in a legal capacity for the owners of the Gilmer Hotel, and so far as he was aware no sale or lease of the premises was ever entered into with accused and no discussion had ever taken place as to the valuation of the stock and fittings. Constable Wilson said he interviewed accused at St. Omer House on September 8 in respect to the subject matter of the present charge. In a statement (produced) accused said she purchased a ring for £5O from Mr. Tennent. He asked her, if she took the Gilmer Hotel, to give the soft drinks contract to his son-in-law’. When she later asked for £l5O urgently he said he could not lend it to her, but would give her a guarantee. She later saw Mr. Robertson. She did not say she wanted the money to purchase the stock and fittings of the Gilmer Hotel, though when Mr. Tennent gave her the guarantee she presumed he knew she wanted the money in connection with the purchase of the hotel.. Accused, who had nothing to say, pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.

On the third charge accused was remanded to appear at Wellington on September 29, on the application of Mr. Knight.