ENGINEER FINED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23078, 1 July 1938, Page 9

ENGINEER FINED

OBTAINING CEEDIT UNDISCHARGED DANKRUPT PROSECUTION AT TAIHAPE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] TAIHAPE, Thursday Appearing in the Magistrate's Court to-day, Samuel John Marshall Ewart, late electrical engineer of the Taihape Borough Council, ; was fined iilO, in default, six weeks' imprisonment, for obtaining credit to the extent of £22 from a Taihape grocer without disclosing that he was an undischarged bankrupt. On a further charge of incurring debts without reasonable expectation of being able to pay them, Ewart was convicted and ordered to pay Court costs of 10s. The cases were brought by the official assignee at Taihape, Mr. S. Percy. Tho prosecution was conducted by Mr. N. Bain, Crown Prosecutor at Wanganui. Evidence was given by Gerald Joseph Grace, formerly a clerk in tho Justice Department at Napier, that Ewart was an undischarged bankrupt, his petition being filed in 1932, when his proved debts jyrtounted to £763 .and his assets realised 12s 2d. Defendant had not applied for a discharge from bankruptcy. The official assignee gave evidence that Ewart was again adjudged bankrupt on his own petition af Taihape on March 31, with debts of £147 owing to unsecured creditors; Of this amount, £127 had been incurred in Taihape during the 18 months Kwart was in tho town. ■ The, tiiagistrate warned defendant ■that' any repetition of. the offoiioes would he attended by serious consequences. Ewart, .he. said, was liable to imprison-* ment, but in view of the fact that ho was a married man with four 'young children, leniency would be extended to him. . • ■ • • !