THREE MONTHS IN PRISON

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1931, Page 7

THREE MONTHS IN PRISON

FALSE PRETENCES PUNISHED.

OBTAINED CREDIT BY FRAUD.

Hard labour for three months was the sentence inflicted on Henry Ernest I erguson Lee at New Plymouth yesterday, when he pleaded guilty to four charges involving false pretences. . The offences were: On June 25, with intent to defraud, he obtained from Albert Edward Carter, New Plymouth, goods to the value of £2 by falsely representing that he and his brother owned 500 acres at Puniho; oh July 10, he obtained credit by fraud from Edward Cawthray, New Plymouth, by incurring a debt of £7 10s. for car hire; on July 10, obtained a cheque for £4 from Alexander Kalin, Puniho, by falsely representing that a mower was his own property; on July 13, with intent to defraud, obtained from Arthur John Smith, O.kato, £1 19s. 3d. in money and a packet of cigarettes worth 9d. by means of valueless cheque for £2 on the Commercial Bank of Australia, New Plymouth. Detective Meiklejohn said that on July 10 Lee went to Edward Cawthray to arrange the purchase of two cars, saying he was going to start, a taxi business; he named two persons Who were to drive. In the course of the negotiations he hired a car from Cawthray, whose suspicions were subsequently aroused when he found the car had run 365 miles. On June 25 Lee went to Carter, and givii’y* the name of H. Ferguson, he said he. and his brother owned 500 acres at Puniho; on the strength of that representation he obtained goods worth £2. The detective related Lee had limped into a shop and said he had been injured by a hay fork, and had to go into hospital. He went there and was discharged, as the doctor’s could find nothing wrong With him. When interviewed by the police he admitted he had tio money and said he had been under the influence of whisky. On July 13 he went into Smith’s shop at Okato and obtained £1 19s. 3d. in money and cigarettes for a valueless cheque drawn on the Commercial Bank of Australia, New Plymouth. Kalin had given him a cheque for £4 for a mower Lee had got at a sale, but had not paid for. The majority of the goods obtained from Carter had been recovered. The detective put in a list of convictions.

Mr. H. R. Billing said Lee pleaded guilty to all the charges. There was not much he could say, said counsel. The previous charges against him were fairly old. His age. was 24, and his trouble seemed to be mainly due to drink. He had complained of ill-health, although the doctors could not diagnose the trouble. In asking for leniency, counsel mentioned the man had been in custody since the last sittings of the Court. Lee was willing to take out a prohibition order, as he had done before, and to go to his parents. After referring the matte rto the probation officer, the magistrate pointed out that in 1921, 1922 and 1926 Lee had been convicted of offences including theft, forgery and uttering and false pretences, and in 1931 of trespassing on a racecourse. Leniency granted in the past did not seem to have done any good. It seemed he had made a fool of probation. Regarding the offence of incurring a debt for £7 10s. with Cawthray, Lee .was liable to four months’ gaol or a fine of £2O. Ho would receive three months’ hard labour on that charge, and be convicted and discharged on the others. 1