MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 201, 8 August 1928, Page 5

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

WEEKLY SITTING IN HASTINGS. CHARGES OF FALSE PRETENCES Four charges of obtaining money by means of valueless cheques were preferred against Christopher Walter Welch at the sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Hastings this morning when Mr. A. M. Mowley, S.M., presided. The details of the charges were: (1) That on July 2 he obtained from Angelina Ruth McConnell the sum of £l5 by means of false pretences, in that he issued a valueless cheque drawn on the Bank of Australasia of Waipawa; (2) that on July 23 at Dannevirke he obtained £lO from Harold Branch bv means of a valueless cheque; (3) that on July 18 at Waipukurau he obtained £l2 from Evelyn Limbrick by means or a valueless cheque; (4) that on July 2 at Napier he obtained a watch valued at £1 5/- from William Neilson by means of a valueless cheque. The accused agreed to be dealt with summarily and pleaded guilty to all charges. Detective Fitzgibbon stated that the accused was in business at Tikokino as a fanner. For the past twelve months he worked on his hank account, but in March a £1 cheque would have covered his deposits. Since then he had issued 23 cheques totalling £l2 4/-. Mr. E. J. W. Hallett stated that the accused did not seem to understand the position. He had been ill. He went to the South Island with the intention of selling some property to meet the cheques. He was a hardworking and comparatively young man. Counsel pleaded for an opportunity for the accused to’go straight. “You have failed to take advantage of the opportunity given you in 1924,” stated His Worship in passing sentence. “I’m afraid I shall have to hold that you knew what you were doing when you went up and down the country issuing valueless cheques to unsuspecting persons. You will be sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment on each charge, and at the end of that time you will be given another two years’ reformative treatment. Perhaps the Prisons Board will make you realise that the course of crime does not pay. The sentences will be concurrent.”

OTHER CASES. For being found on licensed premises when such premises were required to lie closed, four offenders were each fined £2 and costs 10/-. In respect to the charge of keeping a common gaming Douse laid against Francis William Fitzpatrick, a further adjournment was agreed to on the application of Detective Fitzgibbon The date set down is to-day fortnight. CIVIL CASES. Judgment by default was given in the following cases:—F. R. Garton, H. J. Fawcett and J. N. Walter v. G. P Walker £2 5/9, costs £1 14/6; E. P. Payne v. Jenny Bell £6 7/-, costs £1 iO/6; G. Emery v. F. Corby £1 16/11, costs 8/-; K. Lambert v. R. Selwyn Griffiths £1 14/-, costs 8/-; Ashworth and Gavin v. Sid Gully £9 2/5 costs £1 10/6; Paul Hannah v. H. T. Wairoa £1 17/6. costs £1 17/-- Lowe and Hickman v. H. T. Wairoa £1 5/6, costs £1 17/-: Millar and Giorgi v. Rueben Raraki £l9 17/1. costs £4 13/-; Roachs’ Ltd. v. N. P. Neilson 17/-, costs 8/-; A. J. Vidal and Sons v. W. J. Horne £4 10/-, costs £1 3/6; A. J. Vidal and Sons v. M. McKenzie £2 15/-. costs £1 5/6; A. J. Vidal and Sons v. E. Flavell £5 7/6, costs £1 10/6: Thompson Bros, v H. J. Campbell £8 10/5, costs £1 14/6; B. Lafiood v. Tere Wairoa £3 14/6, costs £2 12/6. Judgment Summons: P. H. Tomoana was ordered to pay S. J. Bendall £4 6/6 forthwith, in default five days' imprisonment. DEFENDED CASES. E. M. Langley and Co. (Mr. A. S. Tonkin) sued Mrs Pae Otene (Mr. W. E. Bate) for £3 17/2 for goods supplied in connection with a gathering at Ratana. The defence was that the roods were supplied to the defendant's husband, who hqd since filed a petition in bankruptcy, and that it was after this that the account was charged to the wife. After hearing the evidence His Worship non-suited plaintiff.