TRUST FUNDS STOLEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20341, 23 August 1929, Page 14

TRUST FUNDS STOLEN.

CRIME OF LAND AGENT.

SECOND SIMILAR OFFENCE.

SENTENCE OF DETENTION.

[BY TELEGRAIMf. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.^]

CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday,

For the misappropriation of trust funds amounting to £BBS, Alfred Ernest Craddock, a land salesman, was sentenced today by Mr. Justice Adams to reformative detention for a period not exceeding two years.

Mr. C. S. Thomas, for prisoner, said he was 60 years of ago, and appeared to be broken mentally and physically. Since his first sentence for a similar offence Craddock had mado an attempt to rehabilitate himself, and had tried to do it in the town where tho offence was committed. That required a certain amount of moral courage. His attempt had been somewhat unsuccessful, and in 14 months of work lie had to keep himself on £49. Tho temptation was too strong for his moral fibro to resist.

The jury had made a strong recommendation to mercy on account of his age, his ill-health and tho fact that of tho £BBS stolen he had refunded £709. With diffidence counsel suggested that Craddock should bo ordered to corno up for sentenco if called upon, no call to .be made as long as ho stayed with friends on a farm. In any caso counsel asked for all the leniency tho Court could give. His Honor said it was very unpleasant to have to deal with a man of Craddock's age, no matter what, offence might, have been committed. Craddock already had served threo years for a similar crime, the theft of trust moneys. It was a very serious matter.

His Honor said he could not adopt Mr. Thomas' suggestion, as to grant probation was impossible. He had considered tho case very carefully, also tho jury's recommendation to mercy, and had every desire to do anything that could be dono in adopting tho recommendation. A courso would bo taken that would lead to imprisonment for spmo time, but would leuvo Craddock in the hands of the Prisons Board, which would deal with him according to its judgment of his conduct.