COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 30 July 1935, Page 5

COURT NEWS

A SORDID STORY Couples Charged WITH FRAUD CONSPIRACY. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND', July 29. An unusua: and sordid story was told in the Police Court, when two men and two women were charged with conspiring to defraud an elderly married man of £75. The accused are Peggy Jackson, 27 Mina Elizabeth Armstrong, 25, Reginald Morton Semb 39. and Matthew Edward Daubney 27. The Magistrate suppressed the name of the complainant, and also cleared th e Court of the public Cump ainant asserted that he became acquainted with one of the women and visited her at her flat over a period, and was later found in the flat with the other woman by the two men accused, who represented themaelvey respectively as the husband of the woman and an inquiry agent. To save threatened exposure us corespondent in a divorce action, he paid one man £75. Later, when an attempt was made to make him pay more money he went to the police

ALL SENT FOR TRIAL. ON CONSPIRACY COUNT. AUCKLAND, July 29. In fhe conspiracy case. DetectiveSergeant McHugh produced a statement by Jackson, in which she said that Daubney had told her that he had received £5O from the complainant. Daubney gave Jackson £l5, Armsi long £l5. and Semb £5. Detective-Sergeant' McHugh stated that he searched Daubney’s room, he found £23. Requests for bail were made by each counsel. The two men were allowed bail of £l5O each, and Jackson was allowed bail of £lOO. Owing to the inability of the accused Armstrong to find bail, her case was adjourned until to-morrow t’o enable the Magistrate to consider a request by counsel that she should be placed on probation, pending trial in three months’ time. The charges of obtaining money by fakse pretences preferred against the four accused was dismissed. No evidence being offered. On the conspiracy charge, they were committed to the Supreme Court for trial BULK PETROL DELIVERY CASE. NEW PLYMOUTH, July 29. A test case, to decide the legality of delivering petrol in bulk to re-sell-ers, was heard in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Mr W. 11. Woodward reserved his decision. It was stated that it was not' the practice to deliver on Sundays, but on thisJ occasion there was an unusual run of petrol on. account of rumours of a rise in prices. The Magistrate said that, in view of the importance of t'he judgment, he would give his decision in writing.