Became Engaged, Although A Married Man With A Family.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 7

Became Engaged, Although A Married Man With A Family.

FREDERICK HILL SENT TO PRISON FOR SECURING GOODS BY FRAUD.

iC there is a feeling that one should be lenient for the sake of the family. There are cases where it is hard to be just, and this is one of them. However, this type of offence is very much too common, I don’t know how it is.” With these words, Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court this morning, replied to a plea for admission to probation from counsel for a man charged with obtaining .various articles of jewellery and goods by false pretences. The Magistrate refused to consider a request for admission to probation. During the hearing of the case it was stated that the accused, a married man with a family, became engaged to a young girl.

Frederick Hill, alias Harry Hills, an engineer, aged forty-four, was charged— That on March 17, 1930, at Christchurch, he obtained from Andrew Ernest Young a ring, valued at £2 15s, by false pretence. That on March 17, 1930, at Christchurch, he obtained from Richard Lamb a diamond ring, valued at £lO, by false pretence. That on March 27, at Christchurch, he obtained from Sydney Comfort goods valued at £2 11s 6d by false pretence. The accused, who was represented by Mr Simes, pleaded guilty to all charges. Chief-Detective Carroll said that accused was employed temporarily at St George’s Hospital, where he met a girl of eighteen to whom he took a fancy. “ Although accused was married, with five or six children, he proposed marriage to her, obtained rings and became engaged,” continued the chief-detective. “ The accused obtained one of the rings by going to a jeweller and pitching a tale that he was going to be married to a girl next day. The next time he went to a jeweller saying that he was an engineer at St George’s Hospital, with a month’s wages due to him. He then said he would pay for the rings when he got his wages. As a matter of fact, he had only a week's wages coming to him.” “ Hill obtained the goods, men’s shoes, from a bootmaker by representing that they were for a doctor. That also was false.

“ Accused’s wife was away at the time, and no doubt she will have something to say to him, too.”

The accused, concluded the chief-de-tective, had a fairly long list, although le had not been in trouble for some time. Some of the children were grown up.

“ A Liking for a Lady.” Mr Simes said that he understood that it was twenty years since the accused was last in trouble. The chiefdetective had put the facts very clearly. Hills had acquired a liking for a lady, and the offences were committed to obtain gifts for her. The facts showed that he was exceedingly foolish, and that there was no real intent to commit a very serious crime. Counsel understood that there was no loss, with the exception of the shoes. “ I ask the Court for leniency,” said Mr Simes, “ not for accused’s sake, but for the sake of the family of seven young children, their ages running from ten months to sixteen years. The lastnamed child is a cripple, and the accused is the only person who can work for the family. If accused is sent to gaol, the family will be deprived of their bread-winner. For the family’s sake, accused might be admitted to probation.” “ Of course, it is impossible to admit a man like this to probation, for there is no real hope of reformation. He is forty-four years of age, and I could not possibly admit a man of this character and age to probation,” said the Magistrate. Mr Darby (probation officer): There is a grown-up son considerably over twenty. Mr Simes: But T understand he is not giving anything to the family. Mr Mosley: The last offence was five years ago, and there are some very bad offences on his list. Mr Simes: If I may suggest it, the family is going to suffer. Mr Mosley sentenced the accused to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour for obtaining the goods, three months’ for obtaining the ring valued at £2 15s and six months’ imprisonment for obtaining the ring valued at £lO. The Magistrate made an order for the return of the jeweller}'.