WOMAN'S THEFTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23507, 18 November 1939, Page 13

WOMAN'S THEFTS

MONEY GIVEN TO MAN MARRIAGE HOPES DASHED JUDGE DEFERS SENTENCE [by telegraph PRESS associatiom] NAPIER. Friday Tho story of a young woman who stole from her employers to send money to a man she hoped to marry, and who, when he married someone else, became reckless until her defalcations exceeded £6OO, was unfolded to Mr. Justice Blair in the Supreme Court at Napier, when Doris Jones, clerk, of Waipukurau, appeared for sentence. Accused had pleaded guilty to the theft of sums of money totalling £637 between October 17, 1935, and October 17, 1937, while she was employed as a clerk by the Waipukurau County Council. Mr. Justice Blair, who described himself as "very troubled about tho case," deferred sentence in order to study the case thoroughly. Counsel's Story Mr. C. G. E. Harker, who appeared for tho accused, said the case involved the most painful duty he had ever Jiad to discharge. The accused, lie said, had boriie a character, and was the daughter of an eminently respectable family. Mr. Harker drew attention to what ho mentioned as "certain features of tho case which probably liavo not been established by tho cvidcnco submitted by the Crown." Accused, he said, had repaid £43 of tho amount before hgCr arrest. He added she had been in a position in the county council office where she was tho only member of tho inside staff other than the county clerk, who was also the engineer, so that the accused handled tho whole of the county funds of not less than £IO,OOO yearly. "When she first started," said Mr. Harker, "she was employed at a salary of £BO a year, which was later increased to £IOO, which sum she has been receiving over a period of eight years. During that period accused became attached in genuine friendship with tho son of a farmer, and he began borrowing money from her. That started her on tho wrong course, and so it continued, with her borrowing and putting back and borrowing and putting back. Then some 18 months ago the young man she expected to marry married someone else. Infatuation for Man "After she had received this blow she became reckless, and continued on her course of muddleinent. Some 18 months ago her father became ill, and continued in ill-health for 12 months until his death in January of this year. Her mother is in indifferent health and is largely dependent on the accused. Her parents had no realisation that she was helping the home beyond her means.

"She has drifted on in this unhappy state for a period of years, influenced by her infatuation for a young man whom she thought had honourable intentions. There is no question that she realises now to the full as never before the position in which she now finds herself.

"She is willing to sign over a life insurance in any form to the county to assist in restitution. It is an extremely sad and harrowing experience," Mr. Marker concluded, in asking that probation be considered for whatever length of time, or under however strict conditions Ilis Honor thought fit to impose. Judge Very Troubled Mr. Harker. in reply to a question bv Mr. Justice Blair, said ho thought the money lent by accused to the young man wovdd amount to about £IOO, but no notes or accounts had been kept until the latter stages, and it was on these that the sum of £43 had been paid back. "I am very troubled about this case," said His Honor. "I was hitherto quite in the dark regarding the outside influences. In 12 years on the Bench I have had only one case of sentencing a woman for an offence involving dishonesty. I do not like to make up my mind in a hurry in criminal cases, so I will remand her to Wellington in custody until next Thursday. In the meantime I will/give the matter further consideration."