WOMAN CHARGED

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1941, Page 7

WOMAN CHARGED

WITH THEFT OF £BOO. AUCKLAND, February 10. Phyllis Olive Barnett 31, appeared before Mr. Justice Blair, at the Supreme Court, charged with stealing £BOO, the property of Mary Cochrane Baird and Sarah McNeish Baird. She conducted her own defence, informing the Judge that she was financially embarrassed, and was unable to engage counsel. She was permitted to sit at the counsel table, and ’ exercised the full privilege of challenging six jurymen. For the Crown, Mr.. Meredith said evidence would be given by Mary Baird, typist, on the. City Council staff, 'that, in October, 1939 she lent the sum of £6OO on mortgage, through the office of Robert Urquhart, solicitor, by whom Barnett was employed. Later, Miss Baird and her sister handed the sum of £BOO to Barnett, to be placed in Urquhart’s trust account, and received a trust account official receipt. In 1940, the question of the money having been tampered with was. mentioned, and Barnett told Miss Baird that if so, the loss would be made good out of the Solcitors’ Fidelity Fund. Urquhart would give evidence that he was unaware of the transaction