CHARGE OF FRAUD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 31

CHARGE OF FRAUD.

“With your past experience your should be particularly careful," said Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., in the Police Court on Saturday morning in ordering Percy Edward Whittail to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months. The charge against Whittali was that he obtained credit by fraud to the extent 'f £2 from James Bayley.—The defendant pleaded guilty. Chief Detective Cameron said that when Whitall became involved in Oamaru in negotiations for the purchase of a car he gave a valueless cheque. The car, however, was not delivered. He was driven about a lot, and it was in the car which, he said, be intended to purchase that he was brought to Dunedin. The present charge was laid on the question of costs occurred in the drive to Dunedin. The police in Oamaru had decided hot to charge the defendant with false pretences. Though he was not a drinker, the defendant said, he was intoxicated at the time the offence was committed. Occasionally when he suffered from nervous trouble he had two or three drinks and went “off his head.” Chief Detective Cameron said that when interviewed by Detective Beer the defendant said that he was on a drinking bout, but the person from whom he procured the car said that defendant was noi drunk at the time. “That is the strange part of it.” said the defendant. “I am more sober looking when I have had a few drinks than when lam really sober. I can’t understand it.” The Magistrate, in sentencing the defendant, said that he could not expect to be lightly treated at his age. There seemed to be no necessity for the defendant to take out a prohibition order.