COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 14 June 1935, Page 7

COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE

FALSE PRETENCES ADMITTED. BET AT BULLS RACE MEETING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Juno 13. Alexander Wallace Copley, aged 37, who pleaded guilty to-day to a charge of false pretences, was committed for sentence. It was alleged that at Auckland on March 5 he conspired with James Ryan and another unknown man to defraud Wameford Johnstone of £4OO and, alternatively, . with obtaining £4OO by the pretence that he had received information that the racehorse Cadland was a “moral” to win the Rangitikei Cup at-Bulls on March 0, that , the person he introduced ta Johnstone in a hotel in Auckland was' a representative of Scott and Martindale, alleged to be bookmakers at Wellington, that £4OO was to bo placed on Cadland and that he (Copley) had already placed a bet of £43Q on the same horse.

Evidence was given by Warneford Johnstone, who said he was unmarried and a farmer. He. said he attended the Pukekohe show' on February 16. He knew Copley by sight and met him at a “ball game” and was introduced oy him to a man named Ryan. After losing money at the “ball game’’ Johnstone went away to borrow money, Copley accompanying him. Copley gave his name as James Crawley. At the “ball game” in company with Ryan and Copley. Johnstone lost £25. _ • He went to Auckland on business on March 4. He met Ryan and Copley outside an hotel. “SOME GOOD INFORMATION.” “They said they had some good information,’’ said Johnstone, .“and, as their information was -always good, they bet very heavily. As they would get the information, overnight they said they would meet me at 10 o’clock next morning.” The appointment was kept, said Copley, and they had drinks at an hotel. Copley purchased three cigars, one for each man. They then went to another hotel, where- they had the “usual round of drinks.’' Copley said they had received the information. A telephone call came for Copley at the hotel and he asked to bo excused and was away for about a quarter of an hour. " “On his return he asked me if I would like to be in as everything was all right,” said Jom.stone. “I knew what he was referring to. I hesitated but lie said Ryan was going to place a lot of money on and he was going to do so li rhself. Ryan said he was going to place £IOOO on his information, but no horse was mentioned.” .

At another hotel to which they went Copley mot another man whom he seemed to l.nnv. Copley introduced this man to Johnstone, but lie could not remember the mail’s name. The man was supposed to be the representative of a firm of bookmakers and he was to accept betting on behalf of Ryan, Cople> and Johnstone. Copley appeared to write a cheque which he handed to the fourth man, supposed to be the representative of the bookmakers.-

“Ryan later said he had placed his bet,” said Johnstone, “and he advised us to place ours before the bookmaker ‘got cold.’ Copley said he had placed £450 and asked me if I were not going to place £4OO on it.” Copley said the money was going on Cadland, which was to run in the Rangitikei Cup at Bulls on the following day. Johnstone said he wrote out a cheque for £4OO, which he handed to the supposed bookmakers’ representative on Copley’s advice.