MAORI QUICKLY IN TROUBLE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1932, Page 2

MAORI QUICKLY IN TROUBLE

CONVICTED ON FALSE PRETENCES.

JUST FREED FROM DETENTION.

It did not take Tuaka Arapa Piripi long, after being allowed out of an institution for reformative detention on license; to get into trouble again. His license was dated September 5, 1932, and on November 16 he committed offences at Otorohanga to which he pleaded guilty in the New Plymouth Police Court yesterday. Convicted on two charges of false pretences he was sentenced to two years’ ■ reformative detention by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M. The charges preferred against him were that he forged the name of A. Allen to a cheque for £lO drawn on the Union Bank of Australia with intent that it be acted upon as genuine; that he stole a rubber stamp and stamp pad valued at 4s 6d, the property of W. S. Davis; that with intent to defraud he obtained from F. A. Fowler goods valued at £6 3s 5d and £4 Us 3d in money by a valueless cheque for £lO 14s 8d drawn on the Union Bank of Australia and purporting to be signed by W. S. Davis; and that at Te Kuiti with intent to defraud he attempted to obtain from Max Wallace the sum of £5 10s by means of a valueless cheque for £7 10s drawn on the Union Bank of Australia and purporting to be signed by A. S. Peacock. Detective A. B. Meiklejohn submitted no evidence on the first charge. Piripi, who chose to be dealt with summarily, pleaded guilty to the third and fourth charges, on which he was convicted, and not guilty to the third charge, wnlch was dismissed on condition he returned the articles mentioned. Piripi had been in Otorohanga for some months, Detective Meiklejohn said. He went to the manager of the store, Mr. Fowler, and arranged to purchase a suit, a shirt, an overcoat, three pairs of socks and a suitcase of a total value of £6 3s sd, and in payment he tendered a cheque for £lO 14s 8d signed by W. S. Davis and which had a rubber stamp mark upon it. He received the balance in change. He called at the shop later before Mr. Fowler had been able to get into touch with the bank, took the goods and caught a service car south. At Te Kuiti he tendered a cheque for £7 10s signed by A. S. Peacock to the service car driver in payment of his fare. The driver did not have change. The detective met the service car and asked Piripi if he had paid his fare. He said he had not but pulled out a cheque and tendered it to th® detective. . When a search of Piripi s effects was made it was found that he had in his possession the rubber stamp and pad which Mr. Davis said was his property, though he could not say how Piripi came to possess it. The fcharge of theft was? laid to ensure the return to Mr. Davis of his property. He was prepared to withdraw the charge, the detective said, if Piripi were willing for thO stamp and pad to be returned. Piripi agreed but affirmed he did not steal the articles. He did not know how they came into his possession.. Piripi had a long list of convictions for theft, breaking and entering, forgery and uttering, horse stealing and attempted uttering, Detective Meiklejohn said. Mr. Tate: Do you know how has been behaving since he was licensed.. The detective: He was only admitted to license on September 5, 1932. Mr. Tate: Oh, then he hasn’t had any time to do anything.