£l7,000 Involved In Charges Of False Pretences

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 October 1949, Page 5

£l7,000 Involved In Charges Of False Pretences

GISBORNE,-This Day (P.A.).— Thirty-eight charges of false pretences and two of theft concerning alleged motor-vehicle transactions involving £17,260 15s 4d were preferred against William McLue Ford, aged 25, a carpenter, of 167 Sutherland road, Lyall Bay, and Desmond Paul O’Connor, aged 23, clerk, of 3 Randwick road, Northland, in the Magistrate’s Court today before Justices of the Peace. All the charges related to the period between March 11 and May 26, 1949, and were connected with alleged deals in 23 cars, 14 trucks and two tractors.

The hearing is expected to last at least two days. Forty-four witnesses are to be called.

Mr J. K. Fabian, of Napier, appeared for the defendants, and Mr J. S. Wauchop and Mr K. G. Scott for the New Zealand Guarantee Corporation and the National Insurance Coy Ltd respectively. The prosecution is being conducted by Detective-Ser-geant R. H. Watersen. Charles Archie Darcy Blackburn, accountant and district agent for the New Zealand Guarantee Corporation, said that about March 9 last the accused approached him for finance for a motor dealer’s licence in Gladstone road, previously known as A.V.C. Motors, and later as Deluxe Motors. The accused said he had received £3OOO from the sale of a yacht and declared he had book debts amounting to £450. Witness received head office consent to finance the company and he recalled 44 transactions.- One car, sold, on which a finance company had advanced £448 8s 3d, had been taken by the accused with others to-Hawke’s Bay and sold for £2OO. Witness was not advised the car had been repossessed from the buyer and the accused had no authority from the corporation to sell it. Witness said that the accused said they received £2OO for the sale of the car and had to pay solicitors. Cross-examined by Mr Fabian, witness said the accused had been introduced by J. C. Beecher, who announced he was selling his business to the accused and asked for extension of the same finance facilities as he had received. Witness said the sale of the yacht was confirmed by Beecher and also book debts. Witness denied recommending to the corporation to fl’nance the accused without inquiries about them. After a conditional purchaser in Wairca had complained to head office that figures were incorrect, further business with the accused through witness’s firm was suspended.