SALE OF SHARES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22427, 25 May 1936, Page 13

SALE OF SHARES

FALSE PBETENCES

AUCKLAND AGENT FINED £5 COSTS OF £54 TO BE PAID [by telegraph—own correspondent] NAPIER, Saturday Found guilty on Wednesday of obtaining money by false pretences, Hans Peter Mortensen, agent, of Auckland, who appeaerd in the Supreme Court to-day for sentence, was fined £5 and ordered to pay £54 18s, the costs of the proceedings, within six months. He had been charged with obtaining from Archibald Leonard Anderson a sum of £SO, and a further £l5O in promissory notes, purporting to be the purchase price of shares in the langarakau Coal Mining Company, by falsely representing that William Goodfellow was chairman of directors of the company.

Counsel for Mortensen, Mr. Prendergast, said accused had never intended that Anderson should lose his money and had since returned it. Anderson had only communicated with the police when he was unable to find accused. Mortensen thought he could promote the new company and the shares sold were to be his own shares in it. Counsel then read letters from business men in Auckland, who spoke well of accused's honesty and business ability. Counsel asked that probation be granted, as Mortensen, who had been 43 years in New Zealand, had never before appeared in Court. His Honor said ho intended to treat accused as a first offender and would not send him to gaol. Six months' imprisonment would be given if the costs were not paid. Counsel said the money would be paid within a week.