Theft and Fraud

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 195, 20 August 1935, Page 5

Theft and Fraud

ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY TO THREE CHARGES. SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED After having been arrested on Saturday, Hector James MacDonald, alias McDonald; Alias Hector Heywood, aged 33 years, a stranger to the district, appeared before Messrs H. J, Richards and G. D, Hamilton, J.’sP., in tho Levin Courthouse yesterday. He' was charged that: (1) On March 12th, 1935, at Pirongia, he did commit theft of a dog valued at £lO, the property of Andrew Park; (2) on or about August 7th, 1935, at Auckland ho did, * with intent to defraud, obtain the sum of £1 in money, and (3) on or about August 7th, 1935, at Hamilton, he did, with intent to defraud, obtain the sum of 10s in money.

Accused pleaded guilty to all charges and elected to be dealt with summarily. Constable Burrell stated that MacDonald had a rather long and varied criminal history, was S 3 years of age and had travelled around the country a good deal. He had arrived at Auckland and advertised for a. housekeeper, representing that he had a sheep-farm at Hamilton. As a result he interviewed a girl and employed her as his housekeeper. With her he left for Hamilton to go to the farm and at the Auckland station accused asked for £1 to pay their fares, which she gave him. At Hamilton accused said that he could not cash a cheque there, as he was unknown, and obtained another 10s from her. After they had had breakfast, MacDonald left her saying he wished' to seo his-solicitor with regard to his farm. When ho returned he told the girl that he had received word from

his mother to the effect that two members of his family had been injured in a motor smash and ho had to go to the South Island to manage her farm. Tho girl said then that she •would go to a relative’s place at Put.aruru, which she did. However, the accused followed her about a week later and then said that there was too much work on his mother’s farm for ho himself and suggested that tho girl, and the man and Iris wifo with whom she was staying at Putaruru should go with him also. They left by car and arrived at Levin, where witness arrested the accused. As far as the offence of the theft of the dog was concerned, Constable Burrell stated that undoubtedly accused was working for its owner and he knew the animal well. Accused disappeared from To Awamutu and the dog too. The police had been looking for him ever since. The dog was a very valuable one. Unfortunately MacDonald had not appeared*to do any good for himself. When asked if he had anything to say, accused stated that he was sorry the offences had happened and appealed for a chance.

The Bench commented that MacDonald seemed to have gone from one thing to another over a period of five years. On each of the first two charges ho would be sentenced to three mouths imprisonment with hard labour, the terms to be cumulative, while on the third he would be convicted and discharged.