FRAUD AND THEFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22578, 17 November 1936, Page 14

FRAUD AND THEFT

RADIO DEALER'S CASE 18 MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT Fourteen charges of obtaining money by false pretences, ono of theft, one of forging a certificate and one of obtaining credit by fraud had been admitted by Desmond Coutes Dallas, aged 29, radio dealer of To Aroha, who appeared for sentence before Mr. Justice l' air in the Supreme Court yesterday. Evidence in the Police Court showed that a sum of nearly £IOOO had been involved in his thefts and fraudsMr. Finlay, who appeared for Dallas, said the case presented some difficulty. Dallas had been admitted in 1933 to two years' probation for obtaining money by false pretences. It was difficulties created by his original conviction that had led him into these subsequent crimes. Ho embarked on a business in Te Aroha and was just beginning to do well when his creditors began to press him. All the money he had taken wrongly was for the purposes of his business or to pay bis debts, and that surely was some small mitigation. His Honor said these were offences for which it was impossible to grant probation. Dallas had worked hard and steadily at his business, but apparently he did'not recognise that business must be carried on honestly. His term of probation expired in April, 1935, and these offences commenced in the following Juno. He sought to cover them up by forging the name of a well-known firm of accountants to a false balance sheet. There could be no justification for a coirlinuous course of dishonesty of this kind, added His Honor, and the only question was the length of the term of imprisonment that must bo imposed. The offences extended over 12 months, and involved ft sum approaching £IOOO. Ho could not impose a sentence of less than 18 months' imprisonment.