PETROL FRAUD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21822, 27 November 1940, Page 4

PETROL FRAUD

Prison Sentence For Farmer Licence Altered By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, November 26. “Operations by the accused on his oil fuel licence show a deliberate and flagrant fraud,” said DetectiveSergeant Walsh, when Corneille Hubert de May, a farmer, aged 47, appeared in the Police Court on four charges of purchasing petrol not in accordance with a consumer’s licence issued under the Oil Fuel Regulations, 1939. The accused also faced five charges of wilfully detaining postal packets. Mr Aekins, who appeared for the accused, pleaded not guilty to all charges. Evidence was given that on July 6 the accused was issued with a special oil fuel licence entitling him to eight gallons up to August 5. Entries on the back of the licence showed that a total of 80 gallons had been obtained on 12 different occasions, and the amount mentioned on the accused’s licence had been altered to 80 gallons. The petrol had been signed for under several different names. Counsel subbitted that the accused was in the habit of lending his car to other people and said that the accused declared the signatures were not his. The accused said he knew nothing about the alteration of the amount of petrol. Mr Orr Walker, S.M., said the accused must have known he had no authority to purchase 80 gallons of petrol. On each of the four charges he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, the terms to be concurrent. Detained Postal Packets In evidence concerning the other charges it was stated that from January 4, 1939, the accused was the lessor of a postal box at the Chief Post Office. When the police searched his home on October 18, cheques and dividend warrants addressed to others were found, and it was alleged that these had been placed in the accused’s postal box by mistake. Counsel said that wilful detention had not been proved and that the accused had done nothing to try and negotiate the documents. The accused was fined £5 on each of five charges.