GIRL ROBBED OF ALL HER MONEY

Southland Times, Issue 23947, 13 October 1939, Page 9

GIRL ROBBED OF ALL HER MONEY

YOUNG MAN WHO “PREYED UPON WOMEN”

(United Press Association) AUCKLAND, October 12.

The story of how a young man robbed a girl of all her money was unfolded in the Magistrate’s Court when Leonard Inglis Spence, an unemployed carpenter, aged 25, pleaded guilty to four charges of false representations and also to a breach of probation. The charges included obtaining £25 from Mrs Edith Beck and sums of £4O, £l6 and £l9 from Ruby Millen Ferguson. “During the time he was courting Mrs Beck’s daughter he got to know Miss Ferguson,” said Detective McHugh. “He kept at her till he had every penny she possessed and left her destitute. He is an out and out fraud and did the same kind of thing some time ago. He always preys upon women.” The Magistrate, Mr C. R. Orr Walker, said it was a mean and contemptible offence. Spence had been admitted to probation on three occasions. The accused was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for breach of probation, three months’ hard labour for obtaining the £l6, to be followed by 15 months’ reformative detention. The two sentences of three months are to be concurrent. On the three other charges he was admitted to probation for three years and was ordered to make restitution of all the amounts.