PRISON FOR CHEMIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20891, 5 June 1931, Page 15

PRISON FOR CHEMIST.

series of charges. money by false pretences. COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE. "Had accused not gone into tho box and 'denied those charges, practically committing perjury, I might have given him probation; 1 was very annoyed with the way in which he gave his evidence," said Jlr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in tho Police Court yesterday in sentencing George Clifford Butterworth, aged 32, to a term of imprisonment. Accused was convicted earlier in tho week on a charge of fraudulently obtaining £lO 16s by false pretences, two charges of failing to account for sums of money totalling £8 15s, a charge of pettytjtheft and a chargo of obtaining £2 by means of a valueless cheque. Mr. Aekins said accused went to Australia from England years ago, and 18 months Inter ho came to New Zealand. By occupation he was an analytical chemist and for sorno while he had been in employment in Christchurch. He was a bachelor of arts of Jesus College, Cambridge, and camo of a very good family. Jn asking for leniency counsel said acensed committed most of the, offences ;while on a. drinking bout. His brother in a good position in England and it hoped to obtain his assistance in making restitution. Tha magistrate said the probation officer, Mr. W. J. Campbell, had given accused a very unfavourable report. The benefits cf probation could not bo extended to accused, who had had tho advantage of a good education and should have known better. Tho evidence he had given was most unsatisfactory and amounted practically to perjury. Ho would be sentenced to one month's imprisonment, to be followed by six months' reformative detention on the first charge, and would be convicted and discharged on the other counts.