VALUELESS CHEQUES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 20

VALUELESS CHEQUES

EIGHT CHARGES PREFERRED ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY At the City Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., Harold Avery Clayton, aged 41 years, appeared to answer eight charges of false pretences which were preferred against him, the alleged offences having been committed at various places in the South Island from Hokitika to Riverton at dates between December 10, 1035, and June 3, 1936.- The accused entered pleas of guilty to all the charges. The prosecution was conducted by Chief Detective Young. The details of the charges were as follows. — (1) That, at Balclutha, on December 23, 1935, he fraudulently obtained clothing to the value of £l2 2a 9d and 14 17a 3d in cash from tho Import Company by means of a valueless cheque; (2) that, on June 3, 1930, he fraudulently obtained £2 10s from E. J. Stewart, Burnside, by means of a valueless cheque; (3) that, on May 18, 1930, he fraudulently obtained clothing to the value of £4 13s and £2 in cash from J. L. Turner, Hokitika, by means of a valueless cheque; (4) that, on May 28, 1930, he fraudulently obtained from R. H. Harris, of Amberley, clothjng to the value of £2 10a and £2 10s in money by means of a valueless cheque; (5) that, on December 10, 1935, he obtained from C. H. Withell, of Christchurch, £3 in money by means of a similar pretext; (0) that on May 25, 1930, at Riverton, he obtained £ls in money from T. Borland by means of a similar pretext. The accused was also charged with having obtained by fraud credit to the value bt £2 10s from J. W. Wilson, taxi proprietor, Balclutha, on May 27, 1936, and with similarly obtaining credit to the amount of £7 10s from G. R. Moffat, Kia Ora Taxis Company, Dunedin, on the same date.

Thomas Mackenzie Thomson, proprietor of the Import Company, Balclutha, stated that on December 23a man giving the name of Dalziel, and claiming to be a veterinary surgeon of Gore, called and stated that he had an accident with his car and had lost his luggage. He said he had been recommended to go to witness to procure an outfit. The man was supplied with goods to the value of £l2 2s 9d. He identified the accused as the man, who said his name was Dalziel. The accused had then gone to tho office and asked witness to telephone to tho Rev. Mr Davidson, of Brydone, to inform him of the accident. Tho accused used the telephone, and was apparently speaking to some person. He stated that he was a relative of Mr Davidson. He also requested witness to ring a certain resident of Balclutha. He did so, but got no reply. The accused then offered to pay for the goods by means of a cheque, stating that his cheque book had been destroyed as well ns his other property. He said that he had an account at the Hank of New Zealand at Gore. Witness provided a cheque form from the Bank of New Zealand, Balclutha, and crossed out Balclutha and substituted Gore, The accused made out a cheque for £l7, signing it P. Dalziel. Witness identified the cheque produced. The cheque was cashed and the accused was given £4 17s 3d in change. The cheque was later returned by the bank as there was. no account in that name at Gore.

Ernest Jensen Stewart, a grocer residing at Burnside, stated that on June 3 the accused had gone to his shop. He said his name was Ivan Pinckney, a station holder, of Waikaia, and he asked for quotations for groceries which would be taken delivery of by his truck. The accused took witness to the Burnside sale and introduced him to some of the agents there. They later had tea together, and the accused then said he had a car out at Berwick with a broken axle, and that he had left his cheque book in an attache case in the ear. He asked witness for a blank cheque form, and witness supplied him with one of his own on the Bank of Australasia. The accused filled it in for the sum of £2 10s, It was made out in favour of witness, and was signed Ivan Pinckney. The name of the bank was altered from Dunedin to Cromwell. He had since found that there lyas no such bank at Cromwell, and that tho cheque was valueless. Detective Russell stated that on June 9 ho interviewed the accused at the Detective Office in connection with information charging him with obtaining from tho Import Company, Balclutha, goods and money to the value of £l7 by a valueless cheque. The accused made a statement in which he admitted the offence. On the same date' he also interviewed him regarding the information charging him with obtaining £2 10s in money by a valueless cheque issued to Mr Stewart. Accused made a further statement in which ho admitted this offence. On June 16 he again interviewed the accused regarding the information charging him with false pretences on John Lawrence Turner, at Hokitika, and the accused made a statement admitting this offence. On the same date he interviewed him in connection with the false pretences charges on Reginald Horton Harris, of Amberley, and on Claude Howard Withell, of Christchurch, and in each case the accused made statements admitting the offences.

The accused then formally pleaded guilty to all the charges. On the two charges of obtaining credit by fraud ho elected to be dealt with summarily, and was convicted and discharged. On the four charges of issuing valueless cheques in connection with which evidence was given the accused was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence. Chief Detective Young stated that, in connection with the offence committted at Riverton, he had been instructed to ask for a remand to Invercargill. The offence was similar in nature to those already dealt with. *

The magistrate said that if it were similar he saw no reason why the accused should be remanded to Invercargill. The charge could be hoard here, and he adjourned the case in order that this might be done.