ALLEGED THEFT OF £800

Southland Times, Issue 24358, 12 February 1941, Page 8

ALLEGED THEFT OF £800

(United Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 11. Addressing the jury in her own defence Phyllis Olive Barnett, who appeared before the Supreme Court on a charge of stealing £BOO, outlined the evidence she proposed giving to show that Urquhart knew of the payment of £BOO at the time it was made. Denis Kirk, a native agent, gave evidence that he had acted for Urquhart for several years. In December 1939 he received a letter from the accused stating that Miss Baird had another £BOO for investment, and asking if he had any investment similar to the former one that he had managed for the same client. He had none and he said so. He was in Urquhart’s office in July last, and recollected hearing Urquhart asking Miss Barnett what was to be done with Miss Baird’s £BOO. The accused, in her evidence, said she joined Urquhart’s office in June 1937. Miss Baird called at the office in October 1939 and paid over £6OO on a mortgage. In December 1939 she telephoned the witness stating that she would call at the office during the lunch hour to deposit the money in Urquhart’s trust account. She called and produced several bundles of banknotes, and she and the witness began to count one bundle. Miss Baird then left, saying that she must return to work, and asked the witness to send a trust account receipt. The witness said she put the money in a drawer in Urquhart’s room and went to her own across the passage, and worked there until he came in. “I went to Urquhart’s room with him, and we attended to the checking of the notes,” she said. “I was going to make up a trust receipt when Urquhart said: ‘Don’t worry about, the receipt now. Place the money in the savings bank and there will be no need to put it through the books.’ ” Later the witness said she made out the receipt and handed it to Miss Baird the next day. “From the final checking of £BOO with Urquhart I had no knowledge of what happened to the money,” she added. “I assumed he had placed it in the bank.

“On January 15, 1940 Urquhart told me he had used the £BOO for some purpose, but said it was secured,” the witness continued. “There were no further discussions about the money until July 8 when there was a general sorting of various accounts. Urquhart said the most he could find was £600.” To Mr Meredith the witness said that two cheques for £450 and £l5O had been drawn in favour of Miss Baird. She admitted they had found their way into her own banking account. When further questions were put to the witness she claimed privilege and declined to answer them. The hearing was adjourned.