CLERK CONFESSES THEFT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 13

CLERK CONFESSES THEFT

FUNDS OF TOWN BOARD FAILURE OF GAMBLING (Per Pross Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The town clerk of Glen Eden, Cecil Richard Wilkinson, aged 36 years, appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, 8.M., to-day, charged with the theft of money totalling £390. A Government auditor, Wallace Spencer Thorpe, said in evidence that he paid a visit of inspection to the Town Board office on Tuesday last. The accused had said that there would be a shortage of over £3OO. With Wilkinson’s assistance, the witness discovered the deficiency to be £390. Replying to Mr. Bryce Unit, who apappeared for the accused, the witness said that apart from this lapse he had always found Wilkinson a very efficient officer. The witness understood that Wilkinson was receiving £5 weekly. There was no safe in the office. The clerk had often to take money home.

Detective Wilson said in evidence that, the accused, in a statement, said he had been the clerk for three and a-half years. As the result of his wife’s sickness, he commenced to use money belonging to the board. Later he resorted to gambling _on races, hoping to retrieve the position. The accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, bail being allowed at £IOO. In applying for bail, Mr. Hart said that the wife of the accused had been in hospital for 14 months.