THEFTS BY BANK CLERK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23346, 1 November 1945, Page 4

THEFTS BY BANK CLERK

Sum Of £3482 Involved (N.Z.P.A.) DUNEDIN, Oct. 31. A plea of guilty to all charges was entered by Rewi Clvde Steans, bank clerk, employed at the Alexandra branch of the Bank of New Zealand before Mr H. W. Bundle. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Alexandra today. Thirteen charges were preferred against accused, all stating that as a clerk in the employ of the Bank of New Zealand he did while so employed steal cheques, sums of money and clearing vouchers, the propertv of the said bank, in connection with a number of accounts. The total amount involved in the 13 charges was £3953/19/-, but £471/6/5 had been recovered, leaving a net deficit of £3482/2/7.

Detective A. W. McDougall, who interviewed Steans regarding the alleged thefts on October 11, read a statement made by accused. Tire statement was Drefaced with a confession that shortly after his arrival in Alexander he commenced bettino- on racehorses in a small way. The amounts he then took for this purpose were small, but as his losses grew greater so the amounts which were taken from the bank increased. After the evidence had been heard accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.