CHEQUES FORGED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23405, 22 July 1939, Page 19

CHEQUES FORGED

, SERIES OF CHARGES LABOURER FOUND GUILTY THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY GOODS AND GASH OBTAINED The hearing was concluded in the Supreme Court yesterday of 17 charges against George Crompton Mansfield, labourer, aged 44 (Mr. Rattray), relating to the uttering of six valueless cheques, forging five, obtaining money and goods by false pretences in five cases and money only in 0110 case. The total value ,of the cheques alleged to have been passed was £4B 9s 6d. Mr. Justice Fair presided and the Crown Prosecutor. Mr. V. R. Meredith, prosecuted.

Further evidence was given by wi.tnesess, who said tliey had sold or given a blank cheque form to a man who said ho had forgotten his. cheque book. The same forms were identified by several shopkeepers as having been presented filled in for varying sums by a man to whom they supplied goods and gave change to the amount of the cheques. In one case it was stated the cheque was cashed without goods being bought. Several witnesses said they had identified accused as the man in question. Others said they had failed" to pick him out at an identification parade, but were now sure he was the man. Two witnesses said they would not again recognise the man. Acting-Detective Jones described interviewing accused, who said the cheques were not his and that he had been working on the wharves. Ho gave samples of his handwriting and when the similarity to that on the cheques was pointed out to him, he said someone must have got a sample of his writing and copied it., At a series of identification parades seven persons identified accused and nine failed to do so. __ . A handwriting expert, Henry William Scott, said comparisons mado him absolutely certain that accused's writing was the same as that on all the cheques except the face of one, which had been written by a different person. For accused, Mr; Rattray stressed that a considerable number of witnesses had failed to pick him out at identification parades. Of the many articles which he was alleged to have obtained by false pretences, only an overcoat had been recovered and the shopkeeper concerned could not definitely identify it as the one sold to the man who presented the cheque. Nothing incriminating was found when his lodgings had been searched. The jurv returned verdicts of guilty on all counts and prisoner was remanded for sentence. •