COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 22 October 1936, Page 3

COURT NEWS

Attempted Cheque Fraud (Per Press Association). CHRISTCHURCH October 21. Heurv Thomas Carstairs was charged that ou July 29th. 1936. at Lyttelton, with intent to defraud, he attempted to obtain from Robert Stenii|ird Hempstalk the sum of 1129 by falsely representing that a cheque drawn on the Bank of New Zealand at Christchurch and s gued W. Kennington, was a good and valid oidei. Mr A. T. Donnelly, said that two cheque forms were stolen from the Bishop of Christchurch, who discovered their loss ou July 20th. One of these was in possession of the accused. who, on July 19th. filled it in for the sum of £29. making it payable to one Beresford, and signed W, Kennington. This cheque he showed to a girl in Lyttelton. On the same afternoon he called on Hempstalk. a billiards room' proprietor in Lyttelton. ,nd told' him that he had borrowed £2 IDs from his son, a seaman on the “Makura.’’ The accused said Ihai' he had go[ the cheque from h : s boss, and had earned it at “Waihi." II" suggested th’it Hempstalk should cash the cheque, ami retain the £2 H's. Hempstalk refused to cash the cheque and next day the accused handed it (O a girl with whom he was associating. She tried to cash it. at v bool store. Subsequently it was presented to the bank and it was found that there was no account there in the name given on the cheque.

The accused, in a statement from the dock, said he was arrested on two charges; the one he now Sliced was preferred later. He was willing to take full responsibility for the first two charges, and' dismissed his lawyer. He denied the third charge and declared tlrnl if guilty, he would have pleaded gu'lty to that ehV'rgo as ho did to the others. Hempstalk owed him £l5 tor services rendered in certain betting Ira ns,•! el ions. There was no proof, 'ln- cheque had gone into HempMijlk’s hands, ami be denied giving him a ell co no. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was remanded for sentence. (Receivefl October 21, 10.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 21. The. N.S.W. Grown Law Department h;-i,s entered a nolle pro*equi in the case of Doctor. Arthur Laupliier, of Rosedale, who was. charged with the murder of Mrs Armstrong on September 10.