THEFTS ALLEGED OF BANK FUNDS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 July 1938, Page 6

THEFTS ALLEGED OF BANK FUNDS.

LARGE SUM MENTIONED (By Telegraph-Press Assn.-Copyrightj BRISBANE, June 29.

Evidence that a bank clerk had admitted to the police that he had paid £50,000 to one bookmaker and between £15,000 and £20,000 to another, was given in the Police Court to-day. Cecil Roberts Trotman Foote, aged 37, clerk, was charged with having stolen from the National Bank of Australasia, Limited, £2405 Ils on April 21; £2878 12s, on April 22; £259 13s, on April 27; £I7BO 10s, on April 28; £2230 15s, on April 29; and £705 17s 4d, on May 5.

Outlining the case, Detective-Ser-geant T. IV. Harrold said that the prosecution would deduce evidence of 82 acts of stealing approximately £69,000. (Sergeant Aspinall said in evidence that on May 14 he interviewed Foote on his arrival in Brisbane by airliner. When asked whether he knew anything of a defalcation in the bank’s funds, Foote said; ‘‘Yes; it has been a terrible worry to me. My wife asked me to come back, and .1 have come back to face it. I want to get it over, and will give any assistance required.”

Witness said that later Foote said ho was in charge of tire bills section, and had dealings with customers overseas, who wanted money on letters of credit. He would draw out a draft, without having a letter of credit and take it to the sub-manager when the latter was busy. The sub-manager would sign it. Defendant would then take it to the teller, who would pay him the cash, thinking that a customer was in defendant’s department. .Sergeant Aspinall alleged that Foote said he would write an assumed name on the draft, and that he did not have any letter of credit when he drew up the draft. He kept the money at the time, but did not have any of it left. Foote had said: “It was the same old talc. Bookmakers got the lot. ’ ’ Asked to give the names of the bookmakers, Foote said he did not want to disclose the names, as they were' legitimate bets, and he would “take what was coming to him.” Witness said that when asked how he came to start taking money from the bank, Foote replied, “About November or December, 1936, I met a man named Smirkes, who was doing a bit of starting-price betting in Adelaide street. I used to have a few 5s bets with him. A friend of mine gave me a envelope, containing a few bets and asked me to place them for him. I gave the envelope to Smirkes. Later my friend rang me and said he lost £23G on the bets in the envelope. He said ho was going out of town for a few days, but would be back.”

‘ ‘ However, Smirkes rang me, and asked for the £236. He gave me a few days to pay the money; and when 1 again told him my friend was out of town, he did not believe me and said the bank might be interested. I thought he might come to the bank, so I canvassed my friends, but could not raise £236. I then made out a bank draft in an assumed name, cashed it like 1 have explained, and paid £236 to Smirkes.” Witness said that Foote, discussing subsequent betting transactors, said he had paid a man named KorotcoU about £50,000 since he started betting with him in February, 1037. Ho won about £BOOO from hi2n, but Korofcoff got it all back. He had paid from £15,000 to £20,000 to I. Asp2“ey, wdio had an office in Tattersall’s Arcade. He wo2i about £3OOO from him, but Asprey also got it all back in losing bets. He had told the bookmakers that he was betting for a big syndicate, and was getting commission for laying the bets. The accused, who reserved his defence, rvas Co2ii2nitted for trial.