BURNS SENTENCED

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1943, Page 6

BURNS SENTENCED

FALSE BALANCE SHEETS. DUNEDIN,' Nov. 29. Found guilty on two of six charges of publishing false balance sheets in connection with the .affairs of Burns and Co., and subsidiaries, Stanley Reginald Burns, 48, was sentenced this morning by Justice Kennedy to nine months’ reformative, detention on each count, concurrent. His Honour said that Burns had represented the companies as being of substance and value, whereas there was nothing of substantial value in them. The balance sheets created false impressions and greatly deceived shareholders and creditors, and resulted m -reat Joss to every person who might be induced to take them at face value. 1 Counsel said that Burns, who had a brilliant record in the last war, being awarded the Military Medal for gallantry, was later apprenticed to the tailoring trade and entered the field of company promotion without any experience or ability for work of‘that nature.