OFF THE DEEP END

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18546, 17 April 1930, Page 2

OFF THE DEEP END

YOUTH’S CAREER OF FRAUD. By Telegraph—Pree* Association WELLINGTON. April 16. “He seems to have gone off the deep end all of a sudden, and allowed credulous landladies to keep him while he committed these offences,” said Mr Leicester, in referring to Clifford Seddon Drummond, a motor driver, aged 21, who appeared before Mr E. Page, S.M., in the Police Court to-day, on three charges of theft, and two of incurring debts by fraud. The Chief-Detective said the accused arrived from Gisborne early in January, and stayed at a boardinghouse in Thorndon under the name of Davis. He told the proprietress that a servicecar driver had sent his luggage on to Auckland by mistake, and that his cheque book had gone with it. As a result, he was allowed to incur a debt of £3/5/- for board, the woman also advancing him money. It was then found that accused was not working in Town, as he said, and he left the house with a promise to secure money to pay his debt. After he went two hairbrushes valued at £2 were missed from a boarder’s room. Accused next went to Petone under the name of Duncan, where he negotiated for the purchase of a soft drinks lounge. He was allowed to live in the shop, ostensibly to learn the business, and while there he was given £2/11/- by the woman-owner to pay an insurance premium. The amount was not paid in, and accused kept the money. He secured oil and petrol valued at £6/13/6 from a firm, on the representation that he was conducting the lounge. Later accused went to another boardinghouse, where there lived a working jeweller, and he stole watches and jewellery vrlued at £lB from the jeweller. Most of this had been recovered, but there still remained £l7 for which restitution was asked. When arrested accused was sleeping out. A remand for sentence was granted until this morning.