BANK MANAGER’S CRIME

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1933, Page 9

BANK MANAGER’S CRIME

LOSSES ON THE TURF. A strong plea of leniency was made to Judge Woinarski, in a Melbourne Court recently on behalf of Godfrey Vincent Bullen, aged 43 years, formerly manager of the State Savings Bank at Eaglehawk, who had pleaded guilty to embezzling £6OO, the property of the bank. Counsel for accused said the whole amount had been repaid to the bank. The prisoner had contributed £738 and his share in the family properties, and other members of the family had contributed the remainder.

The judge said he had received a report showing that investigation had disclosed that when prisoner was. at the Casterton branch he had manipulated some of the accounts. His Honouor, after hearing evidence of good character,, said the total amount of the defalcations was approximately £lBOO. He found himself unable to adopt the suggestion of leniency, though the fact that restitution had been made was an important ■ factor to be considered in regard to punishment. One could not but feel a sence of indignation. that an officer well placed in an important public service, with a good salary, and in a sheltered position, should do this when so many people in these ■ times of hardship and depression were struggling for an existence.

The prisoner had deliberately and disloyally betrayed the trust imposed in him, and had stolen money so that he might waste it in high gambling on the racecourse, setting a shocking example to junior officers in the service, and bringing misery and degradation on his family. To stop, crime like this tha law must be enforced rigorously and promptly. The law should keep alive the feeling of dread of the consequences of serious crime. The sentence would be .imprisonment for three years. The punishment had been reduced to this because restitution had been made.