COURT NEWS.

Grey River Argus, 8 July 1926, Page 5

COURT NEWS.

theft charge. Borough Council Official. AUCKLAND, July 7. I At the Onehunga Police Court, t ;-Borough Council official, whose naint i was ordered tu be suppressed in tin , meantime, was charged with the theft of £4 14s, being funds of the Borougl. Council. Sergeant Cruickshank- stated i that other charges were pending, and ;it was practically certain that the (amount would be increased to three i hundred pounds. The accused was rejnianded to July 14th. Bail was al (lowed. Self £2OO and two sureties of £2OO each. CHRISTCHURCH SENTENCES. CHRISTCHURCH, July 7. Prisoners were sentenced to-day at the Supreme Court:— Archibald Frederick George Brooks, 21, obtaining a motor car by false pretences, reformative treatment for two } oars. Counsel said that Brooks was a clerk in the Government Insurance and had a desire to cut a dash. Wallace James Clifford True, alias Clifford Hodges, 28, theft, two years ref ormat i v e detention. Frank Hardy Francis, 45, "theft while a Government servant forgery, two years’ reformative detention. AUCKLAND SENTENCES. AUCKLAND, July 7. In the Supreme Court, Justice Stringer sentenced Arthur Tilling to a year’s imprisonment for breaking, entering and theft. Francis Joseph Tanner got six months’ for a similar offence. George Ed',ward Barber got three years in Waikeria Reformatory, for theft of drugs, accused having previously been at Roto Roa Island on account of drug habits. Wi Hcnarc Aupowu received six months’ imprisonment for indecent asault at Rotorua. / Harold Waterloo Bell was ordered to come up for sentence on February G. Probably he will be discharged then if he has made good the amount tolcn. Horace Vincent Byrne Speight was given two years’ probation for the heft of liquor in the Britomart Hotel ase, on condition that .Speight took out a prohibition order, paid £5 costs, and £5O to the owner of the bond, by instalment. WELLINGTON, July 6. The Court of Appeal was to-day in hearing the application o the Wellington Law Society to dea with Henry Tustin, of Wellington solicitor, for failure to audit his trust account.

Counsel for defendant stated the inontion of the Law Society was that he offence should be dealt with as a technical breach of a duty imposed by thc Law Practitioners’ Act, to audit trust accounts. Irregularities had been going on since the big fire at Raetihi which had caused a slump in business, and forced defendant to come to Wei lington and start practice. Chief Justice Skerrett was of the pinion the Court should only deal with the specific charge, of failure to audittrust accounts. The .judgment of the ■ourt -would be that Tustin should be suspended for three months on this charge alone, and if the Law Society bought fit on investigation, the matter could again be brought before the ourt, -while £l5 15s costs and disburse ments were allowed to the Society. NEW PLYMOUTH, July 7. At the S.M. Court, Sterling Price, adio officer, and Fred Olsen, mate, of he American schooner Margaret Storing, pleaded guilty to receiving proprtv stolen from the steamship Devon. Each was fined £3/15/-, with costs BANKRUPTS SUSPECTED. DANNEVIRKE. July 7. “This is thc most unsatisfactory bankruptcy I have had to deal witl in the past five years,” declare! Mr J. J. C. Runciman, Deputy Of ficial Assignee, at a meeting o creditors of John Benjamin Manttan carpenter. Bankrupt’s debts totalled £lO4B 17s lOd, and there was an apparent deficiency of £BlB 12s. The Assignee said the bankrupt had in about ten months accumu lated debts of over £lOOO, which the creditors would agree was not satisfactory for a r.ca'n in a small way of business. After close examination of the bankrupt by the creditors, one of •whom said, “the debtor had told quite a tissue of lies," 7 ’ it was decided that the bankrupt's affairs be placed before the Crown Solicitor. This is the second time within a few weeks. in whicn the creditors of bankrupt estates have decided on this action, the other case also being that of a carpenter