FOOTBALLER BEFORE COURT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 24 June 1937, Page 8

FOOTBALLER BEFORE COURT

£3500 SPENT IN THREE YEARS ISSUE OF VALUELESS CHEQUES ADMITTED [United Press Association] AUCKLAND, 23rd June. After spending £3500 left to him three years ago, a well-known Auckland footballer, Andrew Johnstone Fletcher, salesman, aged 24 years, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on five charges of obtaining sums of money totalling £l6 in May and June by means of valueless cheques. He was placed on probation for two years and ordered to make restitution of £l6. Fletcher pleaded guilty to all charges.

Detective-Sergeant McHugh said .that Fletcher was born at Vavau. Tonga. He received a good secondary school education, and at the age of 21 he received £3500. His father, now dead, was a merchant at Tonga, where accused’s mother still lived. “This young man has been leading a high life in Auckland, and he has squandered the whole of the large sum left to him,” said Mr McHugh. “He had an account at an Auckland bank, and in February last he cashed a cheque and withdrew all that was left, half-a-crown. In May he was financially embarrassed and foolishly decided to issue cheques to obtain some ready money Inciuiries made by the police concerning this young man shc'\ that he has been leading an idle life in Auckland. Around town he is regarded as “one of the boys.” He was a orominent footballer, and is in a good stase of physical fitness and quite capable of doing hard work. Our inquiries show that he has been going very fast. It is no wonder he has gone through all his money.” “There is an old dictum that says ‘a fool and his money are soon parted.’ This applies in this case,”, said Mr Bryce Hart on behalf of Fletcher. “I think Fletcher’s many friends assisted him to spend his money. Unfortunately he received this money at the fickle age of 21. He has never appreciated the value of money. His alleged friends have assisted him materially to spend it. Fletcher has been educated in everything except in the art of retaining money. He simply ran riot with his cheque book after getting the £3500. He had everything a young man could wish for, including a motorcar. All he had to do was to write a cheque when he wanted to buy anything, but he had no tuition at all in even the basic principles of economics. and now he finds himself quite unskilled in any particular work. It is his earnest desire to obtain work so that he can reimburse those from whom he got the total of £l6. I don’t think there will be any difficulty in his obtaining a position and earning money with which to make restitution. He has already been in prison over a week on remand, and he has had a good taste of it. As Fletcher has borne an unblemished character until now, I would ask that he might be admitted to probation.” Mr W. R. McKean, S.M.: “He has been short of money for some'months. Has he ever tried to get work?” Mr Hart: “Oh. yes He has been in business as an advertising agent, but apparently it was only a hand-to-mouth existence. I suggest that an appropriate form of punishment would be to admit him to probation, so that he could earn enough to repay the money himself.”

In admitting accused to probation the Magistrate expressed the hope that he would make good.