LIVED EXTRAVAGANTLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27513, 6 October 1950, Page 3

LIVED EXTRAVAGANTLY

False Pretences And Theft Admitted PMGISTRATE’S COURT Two charges of false pretences relating to cheques and one of the theft of money were admitted by Stanley William George Wills, aged 39, a clerk, when he appeared before Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. On each of the false pretences charges the accused, who was r* presented by Mr D A. Solomon, was ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for a period not exceeding 12 months, the sentences to be concurrent, and on the theft charge he was convicted and discharged. Chief Detective T. Y. Hall, who prosecuted, said that on September 25 last the accused stayed in an hotel in Princes street, -where he was known to the licensee and his wife. He cashed a cheque for £8 with the licensee and later one for £2O with the licensee’s wife. The cheque forms had been taken from a tradesman in Caversham who had been looking after the accused’s two children. When he was arrested by Detective K. Jefferies, only a few shillings were found in his possession. The accused was employed by the Fletcher Construction Company at Coal Creek, Mr Hall continued, and on August 28 he was handed the sum of £8 10s lid and instructed to obtain a money order and send it to an employee of the firm who was in the Palmerston Hospital. The money had not been received by the man concerned. On September 13 the accused had cashed a cheque for £5 5s belonging to the firm, and he had also failed to account for two other sums, which brought the total amount involved in this charge to £32 0s Id, including the cheque. “ The accused has been living extravagantly," the chief detective continued. “ On one occasion he came to Dunedin from Coal Creek in a taxi and he also went back in one, the taxi fare being £ll 10s.” The accused, who had a number of convictions, was at present on probation. Mr Solomon said there was a " very sad background ” to the charges. The accused’s wife died two years ago after a long illness, and the accused was " put to a lot of expense and was greatly worried; he took solace in drink and he has been befuddled ever since." Counsel said he knew that “ this is not an excuse for what he has done.” The magistrate pointed out that the accused had three convictions in Auckland before his wife’s illness. Altogether he had 13 convictions for dishonesty, six of these being for false pretences. “ This is a type of offence which is extremely prevalent at the present time,” he added. Theft of Suit “It was just plain, unblushing theft,” commented the magistrate in sentencing Norman Ashley Syme, aged 23, to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of stealing a suit valued at £lO, the property of William Trevor Mackie. He pleaded not guilty. The complainant said the accused shared a room with him in a boarding house in the city, and on Tuesday he asked witness for the loan of a suit as he was going to a dance. He gave the accused permission to use the suit, which was returned that night, but it had disappeared the next day. Constable E. R. Tyson said the accused had made a statement when arrested to the effect that he had attempted to obtain a position on an overseas ship. He was wearing the suit at the time, but he intended returning it. The accused said he had no intention of keeping the suit. If he had signed up on the ship he would have gone back to the boarding house with the suit.