Salesman Admits 9 Charges Of Fraud

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1948, Page 4

Salesman Admits 9 Charges Of Fraud

Nine charges of fraud and intent to defraud were faced by James Edward Paine, 34, salesman, of Onepu Street, Wellington, before Mr W. C. Harley, S.M., at the Whangarei Court today.

Total amount involved was £65/12/4.

Paine, who was represented by Mr D. J. Thomson, pleaded guilty to all charges. He was convicted and remanded for sentence, which, Mr Harley intimated, would be passed after he had received the probation officer’s report. Paine was charged with obtaining money by false pretences, and with obtaining credit by means of fraud. Under the first charge he was accused that, on November 15, at Whangarei, he did, with intent to defraud, obtain from Mary Ann Watkin sums of £3 and £2/10/- by means of a certain false pretence, by falsely representing that a cheque drawn on the Bank of Australasia, Wellington, in favour of wages for £7/10/-, and in favour of cash for £2/10/-, and signed James Paine, was a good and valid order for that amount. WHANGAREI CHARGE He was further charged that, at Whangarei, by incurring a debt of liability with Mary Ann Watkin to the amount of £4/10/-, he did obtain credit by fraud.

Similar charges, involving Minnie Sheehan, of Wellington, Janet Douglas Askey, and Ashley John Barnett, were faced by Paine. The sums involved were: Sheehan. £4/10/-; Barnett, £4/7/3; Askey, £2/10/-. Charges for offences allegedly committed at Wellington were that Paine, with intent to defraud, obtained from Minnie Sheehan sums of £25 and £l4/5/1 by falsely representing that cheques drawn in favour of Sheehan for the amount of £45 and £2O, and signed by Jajnes Paine, were good and valid orders for those amounts. A similar charge was that he obtained £5 from the Wellington Publishing Company by the same means. Mr Thomson said Paine and another man in Wellington had obtained a contract for the purchase of material fipn the War Assets Realisation Board. They had later been advised that the goods bought couljd not be sold in New Zealand, so the deal had fallen through. EMBARRASSED Paine had therefore become financially embarrassed and acted foolishly. Mr Thomson asked that Paine be placed on probation so he could go home to Wellington and make restitution of the money. Detective-Sergeant E. W. Mahood said Paine had opened a bank account in Wellington in his own name. Early in September the bank had advised him that he had overdrawn, and a few days later it closed his account. The total amount of restitution which Paine’s mother had offered to make was £65/12/4. Paine had been a week in custody and had no previous convictions.

“I think there is more in this than meets the eye." commented the rr. igistrate. "I do not propose to do anything until I gdt a report from the probation officer in Wellington. "Paine will be convicted o: i all charges and remanded for sentence."