£7BOO INVOLVED
CHARGES AGAINST RAILWAY
CLERKS
Per Press Association.)
CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Seventeen charges, involving a sum in excess of £7BOO, were preferred against John James Noilson, Gavin Gordon Watson and Michael Lyons, railway clerks, at the Supreme Court. Ihe case concerned a. series of systematic thefts of money from the maintenance branch of the Railway Department by falsifying pay sheets and forging fictitious signatures. Neilson and Watson pleaded guilty to all charges and were remanded until tomorrow for sentence.
Lyons pleaded not guilty. 111’. Donnelly, for the Crown, said tho charge against Lyons was substantially a theft of £1147 from the Railway Department over a period of two years. It was alleged that Lyons was aware of the thefts and that sonic of the false entries in the paysheets were in liis handwriting.
Mr. Hanlon, for the defence, contended that the only evidence against Lyons put forward by the Crown was expert testimony regarding six signatures out of between 300 and 400.
Summing up, His Honor, Mr. Justice Adams, said it would be very dangerous to convict on the evidence us to the handwriting submitted, which was the only evidence against accused. The jury returned a verdict of not quilty.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PBH19270513.2.124
Bibliographic details
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16339, 13 May 1927, Page 9
Word Count
201£7800 INVOLVED Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16339, 13 May 1927, Page 9
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