HE TRIED TO RING CHANGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17833, 29 April 1926, Page 5

HE TRIED TO RING CHANGES.

SHOP GIRL CAUSED OLIVER’S ARREST. John Warren Oliver, aged 32, thought he could “ring the change” on a girl in the Beresford cake shop yesterday. As the result of this error of judgment, he is now serving a term of fourteen days’ imprisonment. Oliver, represented by Mr Burns, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court this morning to a charge of attempting to steal 10s, the property of Ralph Leslie Busch. Detective-Sergeant Young said that the accused had attempted the theft by means of the old scheme of ringing the- change. There had been several complaints during the last few days about this form of fraud. The accused went into the Beresford and purchased 6d worth of scones, tendering 10s in payment. He then said he had too much change and asked for £l, but the girl had been put on her guard, and Oliver was arrested. “He has six aliases and eight previous convictions,” said the prosecutor. Mr Burns, in appealing for leniency, said that two years had passed since Oliver was in trouble. He was living happily with his wife and appeared to have made a genuine effort to reform.

The accused was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment. For being illegally off the Hororata Racecourse, he was fined £2, in default seven days’ imprisonment.