YOUNG MAN CHARGED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26544, 20 August 1947, Page 2

YOUNG MAN CHARGED

ATTEMPTED FALSE PRETENCE ADMITTED TO PROBATION You are a fortunate young man in that your attempted false pretence did not succeed,” commented Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the City Police Court yesterday, when admitting John William Pile, a bootmaker, aged 19. to probation. The accused admitted a charge of attempted false pretence in respect to a portable radio. . . Chief Detective Hall said the accused had obtained a portable radio on a hirepurchase agreement from a Wellington firm on July 16 last. He was then employed by the Public Works Department at Trentham. He came to Dunedin, and, running short of money, went to a radio shop in the city and offered the set for sale. The accused said he was prepared to take £2O, but the shop assistant explained that it could not be purchased unless it was his own unencumbered property. The accused produced a rereceipt, which had been altered from £lO to £35 ss. He had not been in trouble before. Constable J. D. Walker said he had arrested the accused, who admitted that he had attempted to sell the radio. The probation officer, Mr E. F. Mosely. explained that the accused had not been able to settle down. There was no reason why he should not be living with his parents. The magistrate made it a condition of the accused’s release on probation that he should take up employment approved by the probation officer and that his place of residence should also be approved. Charge of Assault Thomas Carlyle Ellis, Who was defended by Mr W. McAlevey, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Alfred Ben Parke at Dunedin on August 11 last. Senior Sergeant Vaughan prosecuted. Evidence was given by the complainant that he had been in the Hanmer Springs Hospital for some weeks, and on his return home he found that a chiming clock owned by witness had been pawned by the accused. Witness wanted to fight the accused, and asked him to stand up. Witness struck him a blow in the face, and the accused then hit him with a piece of wood with two nails in it. As a result of the injuries he received, he was in hospital from Monday night to Thursday morning. To Mr McAlevey, witness admitted that he had "been looking for a fight.” He considered that he had been deceived by the accused, who had pawned the clock in his own name. Sergeant J. Devlin said he had been called to the house as the result of a complaint about a disturbance there. To Mr McAlevey, witness said that the accused was a much smaller man than the complainant. There was no suggestion that the money obtained from the pawnbroker had been used by the accused. Evidence was given by accused that he had been a boar.der in the complainant’s house for about 18 months. While the complainant was in hospital his wife had stated that she was short of money, and she agreed that the clock should be pawned. He could not explain why he had pawned it in his own name The magistrate said that his only concern was whether the accused had used excessive force in repelling the comTlainant's attack on him. He would adjourn the case for a month, and if the accused paid £5 compensation to the com.plainant he would dismiss the information.