METER READER’S GUILT
GAS COMPANY THEFT OVER £2700 INVOLVED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 13. How a meter reader employed by the Wellington Gas Company collected money from boxes which he failed to hand in to the company was told in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when Lawrence Mark Chapman, aged 43, a labourer, appeared on 10 charges of theft of money totalling £2751 6s 9d, the property of the Wellington Gas Company, at Wellington between April 6, 1945, and September 20, 1947. Chapman pleaded guilty to all charges and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence by Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M. Matthew Joseph ’ Kennedy, secretary of the Wellington Gas Company, said that Chapman had been employed by the company for 12 years and for eight years had been working solely as a meter reader in the city and suburbs. On August 19, the witness questioned Chapman regarding a shortage of money from slot meters. The accused admitted taking approximately £2700 over a period of about two and a half years.
Chapman had made a statement that he took the money to pay gambling debts. As his position became worse he gambled with larger sums until his position was hopeless. Whenever he had a win he fiad endeavoured to pay back some of the money he had stolen.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22484, 13 November 1947, Page 3
Word Count
217METER READER’S GUILT Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22484, 13 November 1947, Page 3
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