Obtained £44 By False Pretences

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1949, Page 6

Obtained £44 By False Pretences

Nine charges of false pretence, involving a total of £44/17/-, were admitted by Oliver George Sims, 50, canvasser and salesman, of no fixed abode, before Messrs W. Jones and W. Reynolds, J.P.s, in the Whangarei Court this morning. He was placed on probation for 18 months on condition that he take out a prohibition order, and that he make restitution of the total amount at a rate to be determined by the probation officer. Sims was charged that, with intent to defraud, he obtained from Vladimir Kokich, at Whangarei, £4/4/- in money by falsely representing that he would supply 100 calendars in November, 1940. The other eight charges also concerned the supply of calendars. He had further obtained £5/5/- from Kenneth Foxby Prowe (Wanganui), £5/14/- from Oliver Julian Dungey Bales (Palea). £4/4/- from Rose Ivy Marevich, and £7/10/- from Ivan Vegar (Kaitaia), while in Whangarei he obtained £4/4/- from Ivan Baldo Markovina, £2/2/- from Roy Herbert Roughton, £7/10/- from Leslie Hamilton Keane, and £4/4/- from Hector Ernest McKinnon.

Detective-Sergeant E. W. Mahood said Sims’ came to Northland from Waihi at the end of June. He had formerly been in the printing trade. He had committed the offences by saying be was a representative of a printing firm in Wellington or Christchurch, sometimes saying that he was representing his own firm. DRINK lIIS TROUBLE In Whangarei he had obtained £22/4/-, for which he had given receipts. He had spent ’the money by living in an hotel, and by drinking. When crested in Kaitaia he had freely admitted Ihe offences, Detective-Serg-eant. Mahood said. Sims had told him that he had intended having the calendars printed, but he began drinking and used the money he had collected. Sims explained to the court that drink had been his trouble. Before he started drinking he had every intention of carrying out the supplying of calendars. He had taken a considerable amount of drugs during his life, and doctors had told him that these brought on a craving for liquor at intervals. “Don’t you think it would be a good idea for you to take out a prohibition order?” asked Mr Jones. Sims l-eptted that he had never had one but it would probably be a help to him. The sentence, including the prohibition order, was then passed.