SERIES OF CHARGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22741, 29 November 1935, Page 2

SERIES OF CHARGES

THEFT, CONVERSION AND FRAUD SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT The Legislature has seen fit to amend the Act to increase the punishment for this class of offence," said Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the. City Police Court yesterday in sentencing William Gilford Alexander Grainger to six months' imprisonment on each of two charges of converting motor cars, the sentences being made concurrent. The charges on which he was sentenced were that: —On November 17 he converted to his own use but not so as to be guilty of theft a motor car valued at £320, the property of Ivan Huia Penrose; and on November 19 he converted to his own use but not so as to be guilty of theft a motor car valued at £6O, the property of the estate of Margaret Hayes. Grainger also pleaded guilty to charges of stealing a blowlamp valued at 12s 6d, the property of Walmsley and Knox, plumbers; stealing a cycle lamp and dynamo valued at 255, the property of Victor Nelson; stealing a box of spanners valued at £2, the property of Duncan Cunningham M'Lean M'lnness; ' obtaining from . William Thomas Beveridge a bicycle lamp and dynamo valued at 32s 6d by falsely representing that he was Alexander Grainger; and obtaining from James Gilder a cycle lighting set valued at 25s by falsely representing that he was Alexander Matheson Grainger. Chief Detective Young said that the accused went to Beveridge, who was a cycle dealer, and got the lamp by saying that he was his own brother. He disposed of the goods almost immediately. The goods obtained from Gilder were given to him when he gave his father's name as his own. In regard to the conversion of the motor car belonging to Margaret Hayes, he had been caught in the act of taking it. Constable Timmins, while on duty in Prince Albert road, had seen the accused get into the car and attempt to %tart it. The constable had cycled to him and had taken him to' the Police Station, where he had admitted that he was going to take the car. He had taken the other car from its garage, had driven it into the city, where he had obtained two gallons of petrol, and had then started out on the Main North road. He had decided to return, however, and, coming back to town, had run into a bank, damaging the car to the extent of £SO or £6O. The car had later been found abandoned in Maclaggan street. • In the case of two other charges, he had borrowed the articles concerned from people he knew and had pawned them all under fictitious names.

The- accused was a married man and was 27 years of age. He was separated from his wife, who vjas living with her mother. He was a carpenter by trade, but had for the past five years been on relief work in the country. His parents said he was incorrigible. _ He had, in addition to the offences contained in the charges, been going round town victimising business men. For instance, he had gone to land agents and been taken around viewing properties. He had signed agreements to purchase and had then disappeared. He had also gone to motor dealers representing himself as a car buyer, and in some cases the dealers'had altered cars for him and had then found that he "had slipped them up." He had been before the court once before charged with false pretences, and had been sentenced to a term of imprisonment. , _ In answer to the magistrate, Grainger aaid he had nothing to say. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on each of the first two charges, and on the others was convicted and discharged.