ONE DAY AT INGLEWOOD

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1932, Page 2

ONE DAY AT INGLEWOOD

CASHED TWO FALSE CHEQUES ALLEGED INTEREST PAYMENTS. MAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE* He wanted to buy a house in New Plymouth with the proceeds of his interest in a farm. He obtained a cheque form from the agent and cashed the cheque with an Inglewood hotel licensee. From him he obtained another

form, crossed the town square, and cashed a second cheque with another hotel-keeper. Briefly summarised, those were the methods used by Harold Middleton Leo to obtain £lB L‘s Ud by false pretences.

Yesterday he pleaded guilty at New Plymouth, and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence for forging a cheque for £ll 10s drawn on the Union Bank of Austra-

lia, New Plymouth, and purporting to be signed by J. H. Jackson, and uttering it to Leo Patrick O’Neill, Inglewood, and for forging a cheque for £7 drawn on the Bank of New South Wales, Inglewood, and purporting to be signed by J. G. Jackson, and uttering it to Stuart Campbell Dunbar, Inglewood, The charges lixed all the offences on the date of February 23. In addition, on a summary charge relating to a breach of his probation at Stratford on December 14, 1931, Lee was given three months’ hard labour, to be served concurrently with a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment now being served for the issue of valueless cheques at Palmerston. North. LAND AGENT’S EVIDENCE. Edward Jackson, land agent, New

Plymouth, said Lee called on him at his office on the morning of February 22. Ho explained that he had sold his interest in a farm to his partner and that he intended to buy a house in New Plymouth and settle there for a time. On several properties being quoted to him he said they might suit him, but added that he would go to his solicitors to fix up the business connected with the farm; after which he would retijrn to ; inspect some of the properties. Ho next called at 5 p.m. and apologised for having kept witness waiting; he had to go to Waitara to transact business, he said. Ho arranged to return at 9 o’clock next day. Next morning he arrived at the office and said, his wife was doing some shopping. They wanted to purchase some things to take out with them, and she might be short of cash. Would witness sell him a blank cheque, so that he could give her some money? He offered to pay for the form, but witness gave it to him. “I’ll see my wife,” said Lee, “and then go to Newton King’s, where my car is being oiled and greased.” He had given his name either as Lane or Lee. He said he would return in his car and pick witness up to view the properties. He never came back. Leo Patrick O’Neill, licensee of the Railway Hotel, Inglewood, said he knew Lee. On February 23 Lee called at the hotel about mid-day and booked for tea, bed and breakfast. Later in the day he asked witness to cash a cheque for £ll 10s. drawn on Union Bank of Australia, New Plymouth, payable to and endorsed by H. Lee, and drawn J. H. Jackson. Witness gave Lee £ll 9s 6d after deducting exchange. Next day the cheque was returned marked “no account.” SOLD A BLANK CHEQUE.

When cashing the cheque Lee said he expected to meet Jackson at Inglewood next moi’hing. He represented the cheque as interest from Jackson, a farmer, Wortley Road, Inglewood. Later that afternoon witness was asked to sell Lee a blank cheque. He did so, giving him a / form from a book of Bank of New South Wales cheque forms. Witness had observed Lee about Inglewood for some time. Stuart C. Dunbar, licensee of the Inglewood Hotel* said he had known Lee about six years. On February 23 or 24 Lee came to the hotel and presented the cheque, saying it was for rent from J. G. Jackson, Lepperton Road. Witness knew that M. McDonald, land agent, Stratford, had been concerned in that transaction and that Lee had an interest in the farm. Witness cashed the cheque for the full amount of £7. He presented the cheque at the Bank of New South Wales to obtain change, but it wa-s returned “no account.” Ernest Reay Jackson, Wortley Road, said he did not know Lee. He had no account at the Bank of New South Wales, Inglewood, or at the Union Bank of Australia, New Plymouth. The ■signatures 4, J. H. Jackson” and “J. G. Jackson”.on the cheques produced were not in his writing. The first he saw of them was when they were shown him by Constable Longbottom. Lee had no

authority to sign his name. Detective P. Kearney said that on February 25 he laid an information and obtained a warrant for the arrest of Lee on a charge of forging the cheque cashed by O’Neill. Two days later Lee was arrested by Detective Russell, Palmerston North, on this and the other charge. He was escorted to New Plymouth and on March 5 witness saw him at the detective office in connection with the charges now before the court. When showii the cheques Lee said he had filled in both of them and that they were forgeries. He said it was bis intention to assist the police in clearing the matters up as he wanted to get the affair off his mind. He volunteered to make a statement, read it and sign it. In this he made admissions on the lines of the evidence given for the police. Lee had nothing to say in answer to the charges and was committed for sentence. On an admission being made of the. breach of probation at Stratford, Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., suggested the imposition of a penalty should be deferred till after the Supreme Court sentence. Detective Kearney, who conducted the case for the police, explained, however, that Lee was at present serving 12 months’ ’imprisonment for issuing valueless cheques at Palmerston North. The detective said that bn May 18, 1928, at New Plymouth, Lee had been admitted to five years’ probation for false pretences, a condition being, that ho was prohibited. Hie. had several previous convictions. Drink appeared to bo his trouble. On one occasion he ,had gone to Hastings without notifyfing the police at Stratford. In. connection with the breach at Stratford, Sergeant Power apparently had information that he was visiting hotels. Lee said that when he went to Hawke’s Bay he sent the papers back to Sergeant Power to sign. Ho had written twice after that. He had. not intended coming back to Taranaki.