ALLEGED THEFT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 119, 4 May 1934, Page 7

ALLEGED THEFT

Taxi Company Servant GUILTY ON FOUR COUNTS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. The Supreme Court continued the hearing to-day of 24 charges of theft and eight of forgery against Leslie Cecil Johnson, formerly accountant and organiser of Gold Band Taxis. The amount involved is £426. Counsel ior the defence said that the case was not one for criminal prosecution. The accused had saved Trillo’a business by a masterly stroke of finance, so that the creditors, who had been clamouring for a settlement, actually, in effect, left Trillo £2OOO free of interest for 15 months. It was hard to believe that Johnson was only to be paid ag a junior clerk when he had really become the Gold Band Taxis and Trillo the figure-head. The Judge, said counsel for the defence, had addressed the jury eloquently, but there were certain things he had mentioned which should not influence them. They could get out of their minds that this was a case for civil settlement. It had been very properly brought before them to be dealt with as a criminal matter. A, feeling of gratitude should not be expected to condone commission of a crime.. -The jury returned a verdict of guilty on the four charges of theft that the Crown had particularised, and the accused was remanded for sentence till to-morrow. On the other theft charges there was a formal verdict of not guilty. Stay of proceedings was applied for on the forgery counts.