A BREACH OF TRUST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 9

A BREACH OF TRUST.

THEFTS BY GIRL CLERK. WELLINGTON, March 7. “ This matter has been- hanging over my head for a long time, and 1 am glad to have it cleared up,” read the statement of a 25-year-old girl charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-day, befor e Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., with having committed theft in failing to account to Magnus Motors. Ltd., for sums of money totalling £192 15s sd.

W. S. Poynton, accssories manager of the firm, said he had found false invoice numbers entered in the cash sales register book, from which some pages were missing. He discovered that the accused had misappropriated £192 15s sd. The accused admitted taking the money, and expressed her intention of repaying it, if given a chance. Detective Holmes produced a statement by accused, in which she said that in I§lB she was working in an insurance office. After being there for five years she started taking money to help, a girl friend who was in desperate need of assistance. Altogether, she stole £2OO, but would not say it was all given to the girl friend, who did not know the money was stolen. The shortage was discovered, and the accused was dismissed. She borrowed £lOO from one friend and £5O from another, promising to repay them at the rate of 10s a week. .She paid th e insurance company, and undertook to repav the balance at the rate of £3 5s per month. No action was taken by the insurance company, and as the result of this arrangement she secured a good position and was payjng off her debts when someone informed her employer, and sh e was again dismissed. When she went to Magnus Motors, Ltd., the temptation to steal in order to keep up her payments became irresistible.

The accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, bail being allowed.