FRAUD CHARGES DENIED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18211, 3 October 1922, Page 9

FRAUD CHARGES DENIED

A TOTALISATOR INCIDENT.

WRONG TICKET PRESENTED.

MAN SENT FOR TRIAL.

Charges of alleged fraud arising from the presentation of a valueless totalisator ticket for payment of a dividend at Ellerslie racecourse, on June 3, were heard by Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., m. the Police Court yesterday. Frederick Thomas Beazley (Mr. Conlon) and John William Pascoe (Mr. Ostler) were charged with having attempted to obtain £13 14s from a totalisator official by means of a valueless ticket. They were alternatively charged with having attempted to cause a totalisator official to act on a forged ticket as if it were genuine, and with having forged a request for the payment of money in the form of a tot.ilisator ticket for £13 14s.

Evidence was given to the effect that Beazley presented the ticket for payment at the late dividend window, on the outside totalisator, just before the third race. The pay-out clerk found that the ticket was not genuine and passed it on to the manager, who called the police and interviewed Beazley. The ticket was for the second race, but had been altered to represent the winning ticket by erasing the number of the second race and substituting the first in indelible pencil. The dividend on the first race was £13 14s. The ticket was not the correct colour. When questioned, Beazley said the ticket was not his. He was oniy applying for the dividend for a friend, Pascoe, who was waiting. Pascoe came up and admitted that he had "given Beazley the ticket to collect the dividend. He had picked it up, believing it was genuine. He denied having altered it in any way. In a statement to Detective McHugh, Beazley said he believed the ticket genuine till the clerk told him it was not. Pascoe's statement was the same as he had made at the first interview. He had picked the ticket up near a pay-out window and believed it was a good one. He did not tell Beazley, when ne asked him to collect the dividend, that he had picked it up. He did not alter it in any way. The magistrate dismissed the case against Beazley. Mr. Ostler submitted that on the evidence the case against Pascoe should also be dismissed. The man's action was, no | doubt, very foolish, but counsel submitted that no jury would convict. % Mr. Po;ynton said he was afraid he would be usurping the power of a jury if he dismissed the case. It was a matter for a jury to decide. Evidence was called as to the accused's good character. He pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supremo Court for trial.