No Wages; Stole Form And Cashed Valueless Cheque

Northern Advocate, 17 November 1941, Page 4

No Wages; Stole Form And Cashed Valueless Cheque

| “This man was working without receiving any wages for three months. ; Any young man of 22 in the backblocks of Puhipuhi might feel the urge to get away." These statements were made in the Whangarei Court this morning by Mr. ■R. K. Trimmer when pleading for Sydney Raymond Crump, who was charged that with intent to defraud he had obtained £4/1/5 by falsely representing that a cheque drawn on the National Bank of New Zealand at Whangarei for £6/10/- was a good and valid order. He was further charged with the theft of a cheque form valued at 2d. Admitted Offence After evidence had been given by Detective J. B. Finlay that following a complaint by a Whangarei storekeeper, Crump had been interviewed and had admitted issuing a valueless cheque, the magistrate (Mr. Raymond Ferner) consented to deal with the case in his summary jurisdiction. On the first charge, Crump elected to be dealt with summarily, and pleaded guilty to both charges. Crump had been working at Puhipuhi for an aunt, from whom he had stolen the cheque form, said Detective Finlay. He had tendered the cheque to a Whangarei storekeeper in payment for goods and had receievd £4/1/5 in change. One bad feature was that Crump had made the cheque payable to a name belonging to a man previously employed on the farm, and a miscarriage of justice might have occurred. He had stated, however, that he had not j used the name to implicate that man, but used the first name that had come into his head. If the police had believed otherwise he would have asked the court not to consider extending probation. Crump was a shiftless sort of young man, 22 years of age, who was now working for his brother. When called in the ballot in June, Crump had been found to be medically unfit, said Mr. Trimmer. He had not been in trouble before, and was one of a family of nine children, none of whom had been in trouble. He had worked for his aunt for three months without receiving wages, and he had taken the cheque and committed the offence. Probation Appropriate Mr. Trimmer asked for probation to be extended, even if the conditions im- ' posed were strict. : Stating that this was Crump’s first : offence, and that he came from a good family, the magistrate said the case appeared to be one for probation. Pro- - bation would be for two years, condi- 1 tional on Crump taking work as < directed by the probation officer, and < his not leaving that work without the consent of the probation officer. Restitution of the amount concerned was ordered. ' Any breach of the statutory terms of probation or the special terms would be punished, and he might be sent,to I prison on the present charges, the i i magistrate warned Crump. ! j