Around and About The Courts

NZ Truth, Issue 1227, 6 June 1929, Page 2

Around and About The Courts

A LENIENT magistrate and the re- ; • strictions of the Probation Act were of no avail m the attempt to :;eform Alfred Mac Donald, a young married man, living m Christchurch. He not only failed to observe the provisions of his probation, but committed five other offences of .dishonesty involving amounts of over £ 200. Mac Donald said that during the past year he had had £200, a lot of which had been spent on racing, but he was now prohibited by ' the terms of his probation from going on a racecourse. He had earned about £80 for four months' work, and had obtained something like £190 dishonestly. A term of four months' imprisonment was inflicted on Mac Donald as a reminder that probation is granted for a purpose and must be strictly observed. •# # • AUCKLAND Defendant: I had a " couple of shandies, your worship. The Bench: Two. too many, obviously. ' \ ■"■ • ■ '•' ■ .*■ . fHARGED With having 'fraudulently converted to his own use a large sum of money belonging to a client,Thomas Scurr, a well-known auctioneer, of Dunedin, appeared- at the city police court, before Mr.. H.W. Bundle, S.M. ■ - ' - . He pleaded :not guilty and was remanded to the Supreme Court for trial. According to the police evidence put before the court, .Scurr was . allegedly commissioned to sell by public auction on January 29 the plant and stock of Messrs. Blackmore and Weir, whose estate had been assigned. The gross receipts amounted to £781 25.,' which, less the usual amount of auctioneer's commission, left £ 682 payable to James Leslie, sole trustee for the assigned 'estate.' „ A sum of £282 had not been paid m by Seurr. ' . . Interviewed by Detective- sergeant Nuttall," accused allegedly admitted having ..converted, the money to his own : business on the expectation of his father putting up the amount of the liability. ' '.' V. He reserved his . defence and was committed for trial, bail being allowed m the sum of' £ 200^ and one surety for a like amount- or two sureties for £100 each. ''.''.' \ ■ ' ' '■•'*'■". ... *■• ■' ■■' *■■'.■■ ' :-■ pOUNSEL (for man -accused 'of 'throw-". ing a barman down a flight of stairs) : Of course, your Worship, there are two sides to every question. Mr. t F. K. Hunt, S.M. : Top and bottom, m this case, ■