LABOURER'S TRICK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 15

LABOURER'S TRICK

POLICE IMPERSONATION SHOW PATRON DEFRAUDED THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT [|»Y TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] PALMERSTON NORTH. Friday Tho impersonation of a police sergeant as part of his plan to obtain money from show patrons led to the appearance in the Magistrate's Court, beforo Mr. J. Ij. Stout, S.M,, of Maurice O'Connor, a labourer, aged 32, who pleaded guilty to a charge that at Marton Junction on January 26 he unlawfully assumed tho designation of a member of the police force. O'Connor also admitted tho theft of £3 from Blanv illc William Muir at Marton at the same time.

Detective-Sergeant A. B. Meiklejohn said that accused, who nnt.il recently was doing wharf work in Wellington, went to Marton on the eve of the show there this week. Visiting the show the next day, he saw Muir become engaged in an altercation with a showman, which ended in the latter handing back a £1 note Muir had previously tendered him. Accosting Muir in an alley near by, accused said he was Sergeant Power, of Palmerston North, and speaking of tho showman, said he had been looking for him all day. 'Ho told Muir that now he would be able to question tho man as a result of the altercation.

"First of all, O'Connor produced a £1 note from his own pocket and asked Muir to cover it with one of his own to prove that lie was a man of substance," continued Mr. Meiklejohn. "This Muir did, and finally accused persuaded him to part with £3. Then accused asked Muir to see if the samo man was on the side show. Muir did ho. The same showman was there, but when he returned to the spot where he had left O'Connor, the latter had gone. Mr. Meiklejohn said that when O'Connor was arrested later by Constable Chapman he had 9s, which he said was all the money he had. A search at the police station, however, revealed that he had several £1 notes tucked inside his sock. Accused said he had' not gone to Marton with criminal intent. Drink had caused his lapse, as it had been at the root of every one of his numerous previous convictions for impersonation. O'Connor was fined £5, in default one month's imprisonment, on the first charge, and on the other was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.