SQUANDERED A FORTUNE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20762, 24 June 1937, Page 8

SQUANDERED A FORTUNE

YOUNG MAN WENT THE PACE PROBATION ON FRAUD CHARGE By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, June 23. After spending £3,500 left to him three years ago, a well-known Auckland footballer Andrew Johnstone Fletcher, a salesman, aged 24, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on five charges of obtaining sums of money totalling £l6 in May and June by means of valueless cheques. He was placed on probation for two years and ordered to make restitution of £l6. Fletcher pleaded guilty to all the charges. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said that Fletcher was born at Vavau, Tonga. He received a good secondary education and at the age of 21 received £3500. His father, now dead, was a merchant at Tonga, where the accused’s mother still lived.

“This young man has been leading a high life in Auckland and he has squandered the whole of the large sum left to him,” said Mr McHugh. “He had an account at an Auckland bank, and in February all that was left was half a crown. In May he was financially embarrassed and foolishly decided to issue cheques to obtain some ready money. Inquiries made by the police concerning this young man show that he has been leading an idle life in Auckland. Around town he is regarded as 'one of the boys.’ He was a prominent footballer and is in a good state of physical fitness and quite capable of doing hard work. Our inquiries show that he has been going very fast. It is no wonder that he has gone through all his money.” A Fool and His Money “There is an old dictum that says ‘a fool and his money are soon parted.' This applies in this case,” said Mr Bryce Hart on behalf of Fletcher. “I think Fletcher's many friends assisted him to spend his money. Unfortunately he received this money at the fickle age of 21. He has never appreciated the alue of money. His alleged friends have assisted him materially to spend it. Fletcher has been educated in everything except in the art of retaining money. He simply ran riot with his cheque book after getting £3,500. He had everything a young man could wish for, Including a motor car. All he had to do was to write a cheque when he wanted to buy anything. But he had no tuition at ail in even the basic principles of economics, and now he finds himself quite unskilled in any particular work. It is his earnest desire to obtain work so that he can reimburse tnose from whom he got the total of £l6. I don’t think there will be any difficulty in his obtaining a position and earning money with which to make restitution. He has already been in prison for more than a week on remand, and he has had a good taste of it. As Fletcher has borne an unblemished character until now, I would ask that he might be admitted to probation.” Willing to Work Mr W. R. McKean, S.M.: He has been short of money for some months. Has he ever tried to get work? Mr Hart: Oh yes. He has been in business as an advertising agent, but apparently it was only a hand to mouth existence. I suggest that an appropriate form of punishment would be to admit him to probation so that he could earn enough to repay the money himself. In admitting the accused to probation, the Magistrate expressed a hope that he would make good.