COUNCIL FUNDS STOLEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 14

COUNCIL FUNDS STOLEN

YOUNG CLERK'S OFFENCE THREE YEARS* PROBATION A young man who had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court at Waihi to the theft of £7B, the property of the Waihi Borough Council, Eric David Thomson, appeared before Mr. Justice Blair in the Supreme Court yesterday for sentence. He was admitted to probation for three years. The offences were committed between July 6, 1935, and January 13, 1930. Sir. Clark, on Thomson's behalf, said Thomson had been employed by the Waihi Borough Council as a clerk when only 21 years of "ad the handling of about £.scs,ooo a year a a considerable amount being in cash. He was now only 25 years of age. He seemed to have fallen into undesirable company and his wife had had an illness. When Thomson realised what he had done, said counsel, he made a clean breast of it to tho town clerk and gave every assistance in clearing the matter up.. His parents had enabled him to make full restitution to tho council._ His Honor said there were some circumstances which took the case out of the usual category and he proposed to treat it as an exceptional one. Thomson must remember that probation was not so good as it sounded, being just sentence deferred. However, if he fulfilled his probation terms nothing more would be heard of the matter. "Nothing gives a probation officer more plea~ sure than to have someone fulfil the terms of his probation," His Honor added. Thomson was ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution and during the period of probation is not to incur any debts other than those authorised by the probation officer.