MECCA OIL CASE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17410, 7 November 1930, Page 10

MECCA OIL CASE

PRISONER’S COLLAPSE SENTENCE DEFERRED (Pur Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last- night. While standing in the dock in the Supreme Court this morning awaiting sentence by Mr. .Justice Ostler, Morton Parker Pimental, found guilty yesterday afternoon of two charges of false pretences, collapsed and fell down in the dock. His Honor deferred, sentence until to-morrow morning. The charges arose out of Pimental s representations in respect of Mecca Oil. and the jury returned a verdict of guilty on both charges, with a. strong recommendation to mercy on the ground that accused might have made good if allowed to carry on. Mr. Justice Ostler said he would endeavor as far as he could in the public interests to comply with the recommendation, and so that he could look into the matter he remanded accused for sentence until this morning. Mr. Stevenson, for accused, said he had a, wife and two children who were in. Wellington, dependent upon him. Pimental lui.d. served in the war with the Australian Expeditionary Force, and was invalided out of the service after one. and a half years. Although it might be said that the. fact that Pimental saw war service was no excuse for crime, yet it was submitted that if a man had served his country some weight might be attached to it, particularly in Pimentl’s case, because when he joined the Australian forces in 1916 he was an American citizen, aiid he resigned that citizenship to join. VICTIMS OF FRAUD His Honor, to Mr. Stevenson, said that what troubled him was that, a, sum of something like. £IOOO or £ISOO had disappeared. Accpsed must know where it was. “Where is it?” asked His Honor?. “In the meantime there are victims of fraud who have lost their life savings. Is he going to be treated leniently while ho has that £1500? ' Mr. Stevenson said his instructions were that the figures given to the police were not strictly accurate. A deficiency of £4OO was admitted. His Honor asked where that, sum was, and continued tht he would take no notice of the. jury’s recommendation except on the condition that Pimental made restitution of the money He alone must know where it was. “You had better ask him if you want to get any attention paid to the recommendation of the jury,” said His Honor to Mr. Stevenson.

When Mr. Stevenson: asked prisoner what had been done with the money, he replied in a low voice that £4OO was in the hands'of his wife at the time of his arrest.

While His Honor was reading some papers presented by Mr. Stevenson. Pimental collapsed in the dock, and had to be assisted from the court, His Honor postponing sentence as above indicated.