WIDOW DEFRAUDED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19836, 27 June 1934, Page 13

WIDOW DEFRAUDED

SEQUEL TO MATRIMONIAL ADVERTISEMENT. A case in which a matrimonial advertisement played a part, and in which fraudulent conversion of money and theft were charged against a young Belgian, a graduate of Cambridge University, and a bachelor of arts, and now a stockman, was before Mr Shepherd, S.M., in the Police Court in Sydney recently. Andre John Louis Daudet, age 28, pleaded guilty to fraudulent conversion, as a bailee, of £6O, the property of Valmai Alma Squires. Mrs Squires came into Court in a wheeled chair. Detective G. M. Campbell said that about last February defendant, by means of a matrimonial advertisement, got into communication with M*rs Squires, who was living at Woy Woy. He visited Mrs Squires’ house, and proposed marriage, and, on the pretext that he was going to start business in Sydney, obtained about £IOO. He also spoke of mining shares in South Africa. Defendant induced Mrs Squires to mortgage her house. When arrested defendant had £3 18s in his possession, and said ho Lad spent money in drink and in other ways. “Mrs Squires had to borrow money to come to town,” said witness, who added that Daudet, when a boy, had been adopted by a wealthy English family. Daudet had been sending money to a woman in Western Australia. In all Daudet had obtained about £IBO. A second charge, that of having stolen a portable phonograph and other articles, valued at £6, from Mrs Squires, was then proceeded with. Detective uampbell gave evidence of having found pawn tickets in defendant’s room, and said that some of the property named in the charge had been recovered. Mrs Squires, in evidence, said she did not give defendant authority to take articles, nor did she tell him to pawn any articles. Defendant, in evidence, said Mrs Squires was short of money, and he had to go to Sydney to fix things up for her. She told him to pawn the things. He had answered an advertisement, and had about £3 or £4 when he arrived at Woy Woy. He had been working for some weeks on a station, but did not tell Mrs Squires tha J he owned the property. He received £6 a month and Lis keep as managing stockman. On the first defendant was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and on the charge of stealing to six months’ imprisonment, both sentences carrying hard labour. An ort.er was made that the money found in defendant’s possession should be returned to Mrs Squires.