False Declarations Of Income; Gaoled

Northern Advocate, 7 March 1947, Page 6

False Declarations Of Income; Gaoled

While drawing a war veteran’s allowance, Thomas Cook also worked as greenkeeper for the Whangarei Golf Chib. In the Whangarei Court today he admitted four charges that in 1943, 1944, 1945 and 194(1 he had made false declarations to mislead the War Pensions Board by making a nil declaration of his annual income. Electing summary jurisdiction, he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. Four alternative charges that, being a claimant for a pension under the War Pensions Act, 1943. he had not faithfully disclosed all particulars properly required, were withdrawn by the police. A veteran of the first world war, Cook had been badly gassed and later had been granted a permanent disability? peitsion., isaicl Detective-Ser-geant J. B. Finlay. AFRAID TO NOTIFY In 1942 the greenkeeper at the golf club had been called for service and Cook had undertaken his work on condition that his health would stand up to it. He had found himself able to do the work and when the greenkeeper. discharged from the forces, had been manpowered into a mine he had continued. Cook had told him that he had been afraid to notify the Pensions Department that he was working because his pension might be cancelled and then he might find his health would not permit him to continue with the club. From 1943 to 1946 Cook had drawn wages totalling £983'2/9 and pension totalling £839/11/9. He had never been in trouble previously and had found himself involved in the charges because he had been frightened to disclose to the department that he was earning wages. The secretary of the War Pensions Board asked that Cook should be or Aired to refund £839/11/9. SHOULD NOT HAVE WORKED For Cook Mr D. ,11,. Pmss said that he would have been entitled to have an income of £52 a year above his pension and this amount of £2OB should be taken into consideration. Some of the money he had earned from the golf club he had paid for labour when he himself was not" able to do the work. Cook had been working when medically he should not have been working and since the suspension of his pension in October the state had been saving £l7 a month. He proposed to continue working and by forgoing his pension overtake the sum he had received from the department.

Going overseas at the age of 21. j Cook, who had risen to the rank of regimental sergeant-major, had been | twice wounded and also gassed, j After his return he had worked. so • well in the bush that he naa been sent by his company to supervise timber work in the Solomon Islands for three years. A bronchial asthi matical condition due to being gassed | had developed and he had been I awarded a pension. When the National Military Reserve had been mobilised during the recent war he had served for three j months until his condition had caused i his discharge and he had resumed his war veteran’s allowance. j DUTY TO PUBLIC Asking that these facts should be taken into consideration, Mr Ross pleaded for a suspended sentence or similar penalty. Like all cases of this nature, this was a most distressing case, said the magistrate (Mr W. C. Harley). A man of unblemished record had reached this position as the result of one lapse. A number of reasons had been advanced to him for probation, but he felt he would be failing in his duty to the public if he failed to impose a prison sentence. He was reluctant to take this action but it was necessary that offences concerning pensions should Be dealt with severely. In view of Cook’s record, however, the sentence would not be as severe as it otherwise would have been. Cook was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on each charge, the terms to be concurrent.