WOMAN'S FRAUD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24760, 7 December 1943, Page 4

WOMAN'S FRAUD

CHARGE ADMITTED DREW TWO ALLOTMENTS How a woman who married a naval petty officer continued to draw the allotment and allowances of a soldier with whom she had previously been living as his wife for ten years was told before Mr. F H. Levicn, S.M., yes- \ terday, when Florence Muriel Mclnness, aged 42 (Mr. Sullivan), pleaded guilty to a chal-ge of false pretences. She was charged that, between January 22, 1941, and June 22, 1943, with intent to defraud, she obtained from the Army Department £l4l by falsely representing that she was the wife of a soldier serving in the New Zealand forces. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey produced a statement made by accused when she was interviewed. She said she was first married when she was 15. There were two children, both of whom were now married. She left her husband in 1918, and lie divorced her in 1928. The Two Payments At about that time, she met Arthur Albert Smith, and becnino housekeeper for him at Cape Maria van Diemen, where iie was lighthouse keeper. From that date, until he left New Zealand with the First Echelon, she lived with him as his wife. While he was in camp she claimed a separation allowance and allotment as his wife. About May or June, 1943, continued accused, while Smith was in the Middle East, she met Alexander George Mclnness, whom she married on January 18, 1941. From that time on she received an allotment of about £4 a week from the naval authorities in respect of her husband, who was a petty officer. She did not inform the Army of the position, and continued to draw allotments in respect of Smith. Committed for Sentence "Ever since my marriage to Mclnness, I have been worried about the whole matter, and knew I was doing wrong," accused concluded. "However, I did not know how to bring matters to an end without letting Smith and Mclnness know. It was not until Smith arrived back in New Zealand on sick ( leave in July that he became aware I was married to Mclnness. I wrote to him while he was away, but less frequently, and'told him things would be different when he returned to New Zealand." To Mr. Sullivan, Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said accused had given every assistance to clear up the matter. After pleading guilty, accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, and bail was allowed. An application for suppression of the name was refused. WORK FOR PARLIAMENT DELAY IN ASSEMBLY CRITICISM OF PROCEDURE (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Monday The necessity for the early assembling of Parliament was urged by Mr. A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for Marsden, today. He considered that the House should have been called together in October or November at the latest. "The Government, after a lapse of five years, appealed to the people in September for a decision and although it survived the test it was not without scars to its policy and personnel," continued Mr. Murdoch. "The procedure followed might be excusable in normal times, but these are abnormal times and government by regulation has become decidedly irksome to the public." Mr. Murdoch added that he had recently received copies of 34 Orders-in-Council (regulations) bearing dates from September 29 to November 6. 1943, and the last one showed that 187 regulations had been issued this year. Many serious problems were facing the country, Mr. Murdoch said, and the co-operation of all sections should bo employed to deal with manpower, action to arrest the serious decline in primary production, present and future food commitments to Britain, the serious position of the fruit industry, and conditions governing the motor industry and benzine supply, not to mention many domestic political problems. "Parliament should undoubtedly give consideration to matters of importance which will come up for discussion in world conferences in the near future," Mr. Murdoch continued. "Previous Governments staged fulldress rehearsals on questions of world affairs and the opinions expfessed were at least some guide to the Parliamentary representatives at the conference." The Government apparently was content to dispense with the co-operation of representatives of the people. HOUSE AGAIN PROROGUED DATE NOW JANUARY 27 (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday An extraordinary Gazette was issued to-nigbt further formally proroguing Parliament from December 9 until January 27.

GAOL FOR ASSAULT WOMAN ATTACKED AT NIGHT "I will treat this as aggravated assault," said Mr. F. H. Levicn, S.M., when sentencing f a labourer, William Butler, aged 34, who pleaded guilty, yesterday to a charge of assaulting a woman. Senior-Sergeant Munro said a married woman got off a bus at Henderson at about 8.30 p.m. on December 2, and soon afterward, while she was walking home, accused came up behind her, caught her round the throat and, placing his knee in the small of her back, threw her to the ground. Complainant's husband saw the assault and ran to the rescue, but accused ran away. The husband, aided by neighbours, made a search and caught him in a near by paddock. The woman was suffering from shock, but was not otherwise harmed. When arrested, accused was smelling of liquor, butwas not drunk. Accused said he was to bo married on December 18, and if given a chance would behave himself. He thought he had been drunk on the night of the assault. The magistrate imposed a sentence of four months' imprisonment with hard labour.