BANK THEFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22464, 7 July 1936, Page 10

BANK THEFT

TELLER SENT TO PRISON

£7500 IN NOTES STOLEN

"FOOLISH AND FUTILE"

COMMENT BY THE JUDGE

Having admitted the theft of £7500 in bank notes from the strong room of the Bank of New Zealand at Maugaweka on June 10, Maurice Edward Alexander, teller at the bank, aged 6Z, appeared for sentence before Mr. « us tice Callan in the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr. Bainbridge, who appeared for accused, said his offence appeared to be of the utmost gravity, but a consideration of the circumstances would modify that impression. The £7500 in notes was a parcel of virgin currency that had never been circulated, and was completely valueless unless circulated through a legitimate channel Thy offence showed an entire lack of premeditation, and accused had acted on a blind unreasoning impulse. Surely it could hardjy be imagined that for a parcel of 'worthless paper he would jeopardise his whole career and bring upon himself the shame and disgrace that were now his. On June 10 Alexander discovered by accident that the manager had not put his second lock on the inner safe, and in the afternoon the impulse came upon him to return to the bank. He took the money and secreted it under a haystack, and immediately afterwards he realised the enormity of what he had done. He would have returned the money, but did not find opportunity to do so. The Money Returned

It was when he learned that suspicion was falling upon the manager and was causing him and his wife and family great distress that he consulted his solicitor and afterwards gave the money to the police, continued counsel. He submitted that Alexander's subsequent conduct entitled him to considerable credit. Various testimonials had been handed to the probation officer. In Mangaweka ne was president of the tennis club, captain of the golf club, secretary of the bowling club and a member of the Masonic Club, lucre were some indications that he was of a somewhat sub-normal intellect, and he was one of the bank tellers who had been victimised by a man some years ago. Perhaps his greatest testimonial came from the manager of the bank at Mangaweka, Mr. J. Cherry, who had known him for 22 years and altvays regarded him as a man of exemplary character. After discussing the police report with Mr. Bainbridge, His Honor said it looked as if Alexander had maintained his denial and had collapsed only when he found that Detective Murray was going to search his preiniscs* Plight of Accused Mr. Bainbridge said he had made what restitution he conkl. He had lost his position, and now faced the world without money and without training. Between £2OO and £3OO he had pajd in to a provident and guarantee fund had been forfeited. Mr. Bainbridge said he could not tell His Honor what accident had-led to Alexander discovering that the inner treasury had not been locked. His Honor said the act did not appear to him to have been one of sudden impulse. If Alexander had gone about among shops and business people he could have got a lot out of these notes. Mr. Bainbridge said the numbers would have been circulated all through New Zealand within 24 hours, and Alexander would have had no hope in the world of circulating anything like a reasonable amount.

His Honor said he thought that was so. Accused was a person in whom a very great degree of trust was placed by the circumstances of his employment. and it was impossible to take a light view of an offence of that kind. It was necessary, if society was to be held together at all, that certain persons should be trusted, and it was the duty of the Courts to deal appropriately with those who abused that trust.

"The act appears to me to have been extraordinarily foolish and futile," said His Honor, "and it does leave me puzzled as to how much brains this young man had. But the fact remains that he was a trusted servant of the bank, and that that trust he -.grossly abused. I cannot grant probation. I do not think it would be right. I will make the sentence short. It will be six months' imprisonment with hard labour."