THEFT FROM A BANK.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 287, 8 January 1915, Page 8

THEFT FROM A BANK.

A CLERK PLEADS GUILTY,

COMMITTED FOB SENTENCE,

A youth named Percival Soy Kennedy appeared on remand at the .Magistrate 's Court this morning, before. Messrs J. Clarke and <" K. Mathieson? J.P. 's, and was charged that between October 1 and December 22, 1914, he (Stole£ls6, the property of the Union Bank of Australia, Ltd. ; Accused was represented by Mr Johnstom .

Chas. Lindsay Matthews, accountant at the Union Bank, said that Kennedy had been in the employ of the bank from July 1, 1912, and during the past six months he had been employed as exchange clerk, his duties being to go to the tellers and obtain cheques and notes from them on other banks. The amounts he received would be initialed by him in the tellers' books and- he would enter them- up on an exchange sheet. On December 22 witness discovered an error in the exchange sheets making a difference of £SO, and accused, when questioned, admitted having stolen £2OO from the bank. Witness then made an examination of the books and found that between September 2, 1914, and October 27, 1914, Kennedy had stolen £SO. That money was repaid on October 29, when he was clear. On October 31 he received from various tellers values of £632 on the Bank of New Zealand, but his exchange sheets showed that he delivered only £591 to that bank. Also, between October 31 and December 22 2he had stolen the sum of £2OO sums on various dates. When he was questioned on December 22, he paid back £43 19/10, leaving a shortage -of £156 0/2, the amount set forth in the charge. On the same date he made a written confession of the theft.

To Mr Johnston: When the receipts came from the other banks they were altered. Up till September accused's conduct had been exemplary.- During the first two years accused had been covered by an outside guarantee, and thereafter witness thought by the bank's own guarantee fund. Detective Ward said he arrested Kennedy on December 24, when he told him that he had spent all the money. Kennedy pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.