THEFTS BY OFFICIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21099, 5 February 1932, Page 11

THEFTS BY OFFICIAL.

MASTER MARINER FINED.

SERIES OF PETTY FRAUDS.

MONEY FROM SHIPPING FIRMS. "This man appears to be guilty of a series of petty thefts," said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, when Harold Fletcher Tomlinson, aged 50, master mariner, was confronted with nine charges of stealing sums totalling £lO lis from the Union Steam Ship Company, James Smith and Company and the Northern Steamship Company. Three of the charges, relating to offences alleged to have been committed in 1928. were withdrawn, as was also a charge of forging a receipt. On the charges remaining accused pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant Kelly stated that accused, a married man with two adult children, had been assistant-superinten-dent of marine at Auckland for the past four years and part of his duty was to make payments to sick seamen on behalf of shipping companies. He would supply to the companies a list of expenses claimed by the seamen and the companies would forward to him the amount claimed. It was then accused's duty to make the payment to the seamen. To commit the thefts, said Mr. Kelly, accused claimed from each company a greater sum than the seamen required and after paying the men ho would alter the receipt which had been signed to make it appear the man had received the whole amount obtained from the shipping company. It was the practice of accused in some cases to obtain board at 42s a week from the company, pay the seaman at the rate of 355, appropriate the difference and alter the receipts to show that the seaman had received board at the rate of 425.

Accused had been in the Government service for 26 years, said Mr. Kelly. He had received wages amounting to £486 a year, together with overtime. He had tendered his resignation as soon as the thefts had been discovered. Counsel said accused was a self-con-fessed thief. He was broken in health and had been under a doctor for some time. He had been in financial difficulties and had been sending money home to his mother. His certificate had been cancelled. Since his arrest he had felt his position so keenly that he had practically hidden in his house. Counsel begged the magistrate not to send accused to prison on account of his ill-health and the fact that he had lost practically everything. Ho felt he had disgraced himself and his profession and had lost his future superannuation. "As accused seems to have been a reputable citizen prior to this lapse, I will not send him to prison," the magistrate said.

Accused was fined £ls on one charge and £lO on another, in default three months' imprisonment. He was ordered to make restitution of £lO lis and was allowed 24 hours to pay.