WOMAN SIGNS AS WIFE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21553, 26 July 1933, Page 10

WOMAN SIGNS AS WIFE

RELIEF WORKER'S WAGES RESULT OF PERSUASION MAN FINED £ls FOR FRAUD [BY TKI.KO ItA I'H OWN COURESt'ONDENT] CIIRISTCIIUHCM, Tuesday By persuading a woman friend to collect and sign for his wages as bis wife, William Brookland, aged 59, labourer, secured relief employment as a married man who was supporting his wife. Today Brookland and Phillipa Hannah, aged 50, appeared in the. Police Court before Mr. E. 1). Mo:-Icy, S.M., and pleaded guilty to the charge that, between July 22. JiJ.'il„ and July 21, 19.'W, they obtained sum!? totalling £'.'l(3 Ms fiom the Unemployment Board by means of a false pretence. Chief-Dotcctive W. H. Dunlop said that lirookland was married and separated from his wife. About two years ago ho registered as unemployed and said he was married and supporting his wife. He arranged that a woman should collect his relief pay and sign as his wife. Mr. Slaccy, who appeared for the woman, said that there was nothing between the man and the woman. They did not live together. She was very uneducated and he asked her to sign for and collect his pay. The woman accused gave evidence that she was married and living with her husband. Ho had not known of her actions in the present case. She had known .Brookhind for ]o"years. Brookland sent for her one day and asked her to collect his pay apd sign his name. She said that she did not like to do that, because there might bo trouble. He assured her there would be no trouble and she had collected his pay for him at his request and handed it over to him. She had not received any of the money for herself. In reply to the chief detective, witness said that accused had not taken her to other places and introduced her as his wife. lirookland gave evidence that he told the woman to sign his wife's name and that he was sending the money to his wife in Napier. Ho told her that she would not be brought into any trouble. He had not introduced her anywhere as his wife. He was solely responsible for the whole tiling. "It was a deliberate attempt to defraud tho department," said the magistrate. The woman accused was convicted and discharged, and Brookland was fined £ls and costs, in default two months' imprisonment-