FALSE PRETENCES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17125, 4 December 1929, Page 2

FALSE PRETENCES

PBOBATION ALLOWED COMPANION BIAMED Probation for two years, to follow an equal'term of probation which lid is at present serving, was allowed by Mr. P. H. Harper, S.M., in the Police Court, this morning to Aliouen Alan Gibson, 39, a Canadian, w’ho admitted two charges of obtaining goods and money by means of false pretences. The accused was charged with obtaining from Clifford James Walsh on or about September 16 two tyres and tubes to the value of £l6 10s by falsely representing that he was acting for the firm of Turner and Evans, engineers, of Wellington, and with obtaining on divers dates between September 15 and October 22 goods and money to the value of £6 4s from Clifford Walsh by means of a similar false pretence. Giving evidence as to the character of the accused, Detective McLeod, who prosecuted, stated that on October 15 Gibson was admitted to probation for two years in Auckland, after he had left this district, on a charge of theft. He had not been in trouble before that, and was at present employed, at the Tokomaru Bay freezing works. When given the choice, accused elected to bo dealt with by the magistrate, and' pleaded guilty to both charges. Mr. E. G. G. Bain appeared on his behalf.

Detective McLeod explained that, accused and a companion came to Gisborne from Wellington early iff September, ostensibly to buy scrap metal. On divers dates they called at Mr. Walsh's service station and obtained benzine, oil, and tyres, representing that they were travelling for Turner and Evans. Mr. Walsh communicated with the firm later, and when he received a reply stating that the two men were not representing the firm, he laid an information. The other man had not yet been arrested. As he had a job to go to, accused desired to be dealt with by the magistrate, and he had informed the speaker that if given an opportunity he would make restitution.

Mr. Bain explained that accused came to New Zealand recently from Australia, and obtained a motor vehicle to travel about the country purchasing scrap metal. A few weeks before these offences were committed he got in tow with the other man, and they commenced buying in partnership, and sharing the expenses of the car. The other man told the accused that he had authority to obtain goods in the namo of Turner and Evans, and knowing that the other had some connection with the firm, the accused made no bones about going to the service station and signing the orders with his companion. After the men had been admitted to probation in October for the theft of. copper wire, the other decamped from Auckland with all Gibson's money. As the accused was willing to make restitution, the speaker felt that the case was one in which the term of his probation might be lengthened. Tho magistrate: He must have known that the other man had no authority to obtain the articles, Mr. Bain pointed out that the acquaintance was a very short one. The magistrate: No doubt his companion is more to blame than he is. The offence for .which he was sentenced in Auckland is of a similar nature/ and was really a continuation of these offences, and under the circumstances, as he has a job to. go to, a teym of probation will meet the case. He will be admitted to probation for a further term of two years, and will be ordered to make restitution of the value of the articles at the rate of 30s per week.