CREDIT BY FRAUD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23616, 28 March 1940, Page 10

CREDIT BY FRAUD

BOGUS LIEUTENANT : STORY OF MAGNETIC MINES HOTEL PROPRIETOR DECEIVED [BY, TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] DUNE DIN, "Wednesday A charge of obtaining board ami lodging to the value of £19.19s from L. G. Lewis, of Christchurch, by falsely representing that he was a lieutenant in His Majesty's naval forces was preferred against a young man, Leslie .lames McGregor, .in the Duuedin Police Court this morning. McGregor was also charged with unlawfully wearing the uniform and badges of a naval lieutenant. He pleaded guilty Co the first charge and not guilty to the second. Detective-Sergeant Hall said that the uniform was '"Vorn in Christchurch and if accused pleaded not guilty to the second charge the evidence would have to be taken in Christchurch. In connection with that count, Mr. E. J. Anderson, who represented the accused, said that McGregor was the first mato in a Sea Scout troop and,the uniform which he had worn in Christchurch was one attached to that position and not that of a commissioned officer of th<3 Navy. Combating Magnetic Mines Sergeant Hall pointed out that it was also an offence to wear a Scout uniform to which accused was not entitled. Accused went to Christchurch about Christmas time and booked in at an hotel for bed and breakfast;, representing that he was a lieutenant in the Navy and that he had come out from England to take charge of a converted trawler to combat the magnetic mine menace. He was then wearing a uniform which he purported to be that of a naval lieutenant. While ho was at the hotel he put through a bogus telephone call to the proprietor alleging that it came from the Navy Department and said that the department would be jesponsible for his board. After he had been there for nearly six weeks he told the proprietor to sen j the account to the Navy Department, but when Lewis did so the de;?artmenl* replied that it had no knowledge of any Lieutenant McGregor and forwarded particulars on to the police. Detective Berry interviewed accused on March 21 and McGregor frankly ad-' mitted everything. Letter to Girl When McGregor left the hotel, Sergeant Hall said, he wrote a letter purporting to come from a third person to a voting girl and represented that* : Lieutenant-Commander McGregor had : .met with an accident in a converted trawler while operating in the China Sea, that he had been seriously injured and was then in hospital in Darwin, but would be returning to New Zealand shorty. The magistrate, Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, said that the accused was a young man of otherwise good character. I He would take into account that the i offence was the result of a foolish act j which brought him by progressive steps j to his present position. He would be j admitted to probation for 12 months : i on condition that lie made restitution ' I of £l9 19s within 14 days. ' I On the magistrate's suggestion the i second charge was withdrawn.