VALUELESS CHEQUES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17871, 28 February 1920, Page 15

VALUELESS CHEQUES

A SERIES OP FRAUDS. At the City Police Court yesterday, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Montagu© Henry Pennyouiok was charged -with obtaining with intent to defraud, goods and monys from Peter Rintoul, Samuel Campbell, Jas. Connor, and Jas. Wilson, to the total of £40. Ho pleaded guilty, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Chief Detective Bishop said that the accused was a married man living apart from his wife and child. He had been drinking heavily, and during this period he had gained possession of blank cheques and had. obtained the goods and oaah mentioned in the information. Hero had been nothing known against him by the police previously, but he had volunteered the information that some years ago he had got into trouble in Tasmania over the forgery of a promiseQ.ry note, but this admission was in his favour inasmuch as it snowed that he had not the ordinary criminal instinct.—Mr Gumming asked that the court extend some leniency to the accased. His wife and child were prepared to give him another chance, and this might prove the making of him.—The Magistrate pointed out that the accused oould not have been very drunk when he uttered these cheques, no matter how much he had been drinking at other time«. Unless a man was sober he would not have tho opportunity of passing off cheques in the way he appeared to have done. He had promised to reform, but it appeared to him (the magistrate) that it would be m defendant's interest if he were assisted in that direction. From the publio point of view he could not overlook these offences, and the defendant would be sentenced to n period of reformative treatment not exceeding two jcars. ' ". ' '