CLERK'S DISHONESTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18657, 13 March 1924, Page 9

CLERK'S DISHONESTY.

HAMILTON MAN'S LAPSE.

TOTAL OF , £2288 INVOLVED,

[BX > TELECSAPH. —OWN CO]

HAMILTON. Wednesday *

John Peter Olsen, law clerk, of Hamilton, who had been brought back from Sydney recently on charges of the misappropriation of: money from the funds of his late employers, Messrs. MacDiarmid, . Mears and Gray, solicitors, appeared befoue. Messrs. McCrae and Tristram, J.P's., at the Oourf? this morning. The charges numbered seven, comprising the following specific sums:—£loo7 10s, £600, £450. £82, £67 lis, £51 ss, £30, a total of £2288 6s. Detective Sweeney prosecuted and Mr. W. J. King appeared for accused.' ,

' Wynn Peyton Gray, a member of' the firm of MacDiarmid, Mears and . Gray, said that as a result of irregularities being discovered in the books Che services of Olsen were dispensed with on December 19 last. Witness detailed the duties of accused in receiving moneys on behalf of the firm. Upon receiving money ho should have given a' receipt and then paid the money to the firm's accountant, aC the same time informing him to whom the amount should be credited. Since the dismissal of Olsen witness and his partners had made an investigation of some of the matters accused had handled. Money was discovered to have been paid to the , firm by ; various clients and they had not been accounted for -by Olsen. Their investigations revealed the fact that systematic dishonesty had been going on from 1919 until within a few days of accused's discharge. None of the money had been recovered, except in respect to a sum of £800, in regard to which accused applied £260 to pay off two mortgages connected with the transaction, leaving a balance of £540. No restitution had been made by the accused and as a result of the systematic scheme of misappropriation the firm had had to pay out of its- own moneys the various sums entrusted to them by their clients. i V clients. ■ ■ y

Campbell Larnach MacDiarmid, another member of the firm, gave corroborative evidence. / \ ...

Details of an interview he - had had with accused was given by Detective Sweeney. Olsen, he said, made a statement admitting Everything, at Che same fame evincing , a desire to assist the Crown and his late employers to clear un any poraCs not already elucidated. Accused pleaded guilty to all charges and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.