MAN’S ALLEGED FRAUD

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1931, Page 5

MAN’S ALLEGED FRAUD

STORY OF SUSTENANCE CLAIM.

SEVERAL HUNDREDS IN BANK.

A man named Alexander Kenneth Bethune was charged at Footscray, Melbourne, recently, with haying, by means of a false representation in writing, with a view to obtaining a sustenance card, imposed on John Daweon, a clerk employed by. the local municipal council. Bethune therefore, the charge continued, was deemed to be a rogue and vagabond. .. . . Evidence for the prosecution, was tjiat, subsequent to accused’s applying for sustenance and obtaining relief, he was interviewed by Constable Knight, to whoni lie stated, in reply to questions, that the fornj he had filled in did not truly set forth the state of his finances. He had not set out in the form what money and property he had. In November he drew £9OO from tjie ’.provident fund of an oil company, where he had been employed as a motor-driver. He owned a sedan motor-car, for which he had paid £l6O. At the time he made the declaration he had £6OO in a bank, .and his wife had £3OO. He had been misinformed as to his eligibility. Counsel for the defence, said no evidence had been given by the prosecution that accused ever went to Dawson or that he even knew of the existence of that individual. Therefore accused could not have defrauded Dawson. Counsel for the prosecution submitted that an argument by defending counsel that a man receiving Jess than £53 a year had a right to demand sustenance was not tenable. Defending counsel said, that when Bethune set about filling in a form he looked up a sixpenny dictionary to get a definition of “property,” aud saw it set forth that the word meant ownership of estate. Bethune concluded he had no estate. Accused said ho thought that property” meant estate or houses. He was under an impression that, as he was out of work and not receiving £2 per week, he was entitled to sustenance. He voluntarily gave up drawing relief. Flo applied for a block of land from the Closer Settlement Board, and he expected to obtain one, When he applied for susteiuilice there v» r as about £570 in the bank in -his wife’s name. He had given his wife the money. Tho magistrate said that the case called for imprisonment without an option of paying a fine. Bethune would be sentenced to imprisonment for a month. Counsel said that Bethune proposed to have the case reviewed. A stay of 14 days Was granted.