Claims £8OO From Betting

Northern Advocate, 11 March 1948, Page 3

Claims £BOO From Betting

NEW PLYMOUTH. Thu. <P.A.) —A claim that he had made £7OO to £BOO a year by betting on racehorses war. Lie basis o defence of Michael Metod Novak, restaurant proprietor, who appeared before Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M., at Hew Plymouth, charged with wilfully furnishing false returns of income. Derision was reserved. The charges were based on informations laid by the Commissioner of Taxes on an alleged total discrepancy of £5574 over a period ol' five years to March 81, 1947.

Evidence that his books were made up by his son from entries in notebooks was given by Novak. He had one bank account for business and another for gambling. He did his Letting through another son. who received 1 G in the £ commission from a bookmaker. Asked by counsel for the prosecution (Mr J. P. Quilliain.t whether, as he could make £7OO to £3OO a year at gambling and. only £483 from his business, he had considered devoting himself entirely to gambling, defenda.nt replied hr. had not. He believed in work. Defendant’s son, Frank Novak, who made out the returns, said he judged them to be reasonable. It clkJ not surprise him to learn that his father made £7OO to £BOO at gambling. He interviewed the bookmaker, who wrote a statement, but, after seeing his solicitor, lie would not produce it.