MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 8

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

MONDAY (Before Messrs T. Pryde and M. Miller, J.P’s.) Ewart Noel McLennan, aged 33, labourer, of Otatara (Mr Gordon J. Reed), appeared on remand on eight charges of forging the signature of John Victor Aicken to withdrawal slips at the Invercargill Savings Bank. Harold Robert Willcox, accountant of the Invercargill Savings Bank, said Aicken had had an account with the bank for many years. The bank books showed that between April 26 and May 16, £136/10/- had been withdrawn from the account, the signature on the withdrawal slips being similar to that in the signature book of the bank. On April 23 the pass book was posted to Aicken at Otatara.

John Victor Aicken, freezing works employee, said he opened an account in the bank in 1930. He had not signed the eight withdrawal slips presented between April 26 and May 16 last. The accused resided with the

witness’s parents at Otatara. He had no authority to operate on the account.

Detective T.'Smith said that on May 19 he interviewed the accused at Otatara about the withdrawals from the bank. He said he intended to pay the money back and no one would have known anything about it. After being warned he made a statement in which he said he had been heavily in debt. He collected the mail and one day found in it a pass book addressed to John Victor Aicken. He got the idea of withdrawing the money from the bank. He had only £2 left, having spent all the rest. He could not say where he had spent it. He had intended to pay all the money back before next March and Aicken would not have known anything about it. He was engaged to marry Aicken’s sister. The accused pleaded guilty to each charge and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was renewed in two securities of £l5O and accused’s own recognisance of a similar amount.