BUTTER COMPANY’S CARTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16461, 24 June 1921, Page 7

BUTTER COMPANY’S CARTER.

SHORT DELIVERIES TO CUSTOMERS. FAKED RECEIPTS. James Hardy appeared on remand ; charged with stealing sums of money totalling £l2 14s lid, from the Tai Tapu Dairy Coy., Ltd., on divers dates f during the past year. Accused, who was represented by Mr C. S. Thomas, pleaded guilty to all charges. Chief Detective M’llveney said the , accused was a city carter employed by j the Tai Tapu Dairy Coy., Ltd., and he had been systematically robbing his employers of small sums of money. His system was a simple one. The accused had to make out a receipt with carbon

copy for all butter sold to cash customers, and in the case .of, say, eighteen pounds of butter being supplied be would first make out a receipt for. say, twelve pounds. Then when the cus- ; tomer noticed the mistake the accused would make the correction on the original receipt but not on the carbon ; copy. He would thus be able to show ; a sale of only twelve pounds of butter, i whereas 110 had been paid cash for : eighteen pounds. The man received j £-4 9s 6d a week wages, plus a bonus ; of £lO each year. He was a married | man with one child, and prior to the commission of the offence had appar- 1 ently had a clean record. Mr Thomas pleaded for leniency, ' stating that the accused had been cm* j ployed as a carter by different firms ; for a number of years, during which ! period, although he had handled large j sums of money, his honesty had never been questioned. The total amount involved, he pointed out, was not very large. n The YTngistrato said it seemed a. very mean theft for the accused to take these small sums and hide his guilt behind faked receipts. Mr Thomas admitted that accused bad been guilty of a mean and petty theft, but wished to point out that there appealed to be no check on the quantity of butter given to accused by the company. Charles P. Agar explained the firm’s system of dealing with their cash and credit customers. Regarding the discrepancy which occurred in the amount of butter which was sold by accused and the amounut which was shown on the receipts, accused had made up this difference by robbing one grocer in order to sell to another. He would, when stacking butter in a shop, include some of the grocer’s former stock with the new lot. Mr Thomas: In that case it is a pity wo pleaded guilty, ms the accused is now charged witli robbing the grocers. ! Mr Agar: He robbed the company as ; well. . * ! “ Mr Thomas said that accused would be able to make full restitution of the : moneys and he would ask his Worship ' to grant probation to him. The man ! had a wife and child, and if he was | sent to gaol they would suffer. Four of accused’s former employers were called by Mr Thomas, all of whom testified to accused’© honesty and integrity while in their employ. Chief Detective M’Tlveney: He had £52 in his possession when arrested. The Magistrate said lie had been asked to extend leniency by admitting accused to probation, but he-had to consider that during the lasi few years there had grown up an entire disregard of the rights of property. Theft was far too common. Sometimes a Mag is*, irate extended leniency in cases of theft, where 'there were cases of the accused falling victims to sudden temptations. The accused, however, was in a position of trust and had disregarded that trust and been guilty of a number of mean and petty thefts. “ When theft is so frequent,” added his Worship, “ it must he understood that the punishment is imprisonment.” On the charge of stealing £6 Bs, the largest sum, the accused was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and on the other four charges lie was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon during the next twelve months, on condition that full restitution' was made within the next six months. '