A CLERK’S LAPSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21993, 30 June 1933, Page 5

A CLERK’S LAPSE

TWELVE MONTHS’ PROBATION (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 29. A former employee of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association, Sydney James Smith, aged 42, a. clerk, pleaded guilty when charged in the Police Court with stealing three sums amounting to £l2 18s 4d, the property of the association, and two further sums totalling £4 6s Bd, the property of a war pensioner. Detective Sergeant O’Sullivan said that until last month the accused had been employed by the association as accountant at a salary of £4 a week. For a short period he was acting secretary at a weekly salary of 15. On three different days last month he stole. money belonging to the association concerned. The money was collected by the accused on behalf of the war pensioner. In asking for leniency, Mr Ackins said that recently the accused was wrongfully held to be responsible for the loss of one of the association’s books, and was suspended. This worried him, as he had been a loyal servant. He later suffered a nervous breakdown, and was in hospital. It was while he was in a state of muddle that the offences were committed. The magistrate (Mr E. K. Hunt) admitted the accused to probation for 12 months and ordered him to make restitution.