“FLYING HIGH.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20282, 17 April 1934, Page 10

“FLYING HIGH.”

Young Man Who Became Air-minded. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, April 17. An attempt to learn to fly on a salary of £3 10s a wee.k was said to be the cause of the appearance of a young.man before Mr F. W. Stilwell, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court on a charge of stealing £2, ‘and another of fraudulently stating that he had posted the money (reports the “Post”). Detective-Sergeant Revell said that in February last the accused was staying with a man who gave him £2 to post to a friend in Nelson. The money never arrived, but the accused maintained that he had posted it. Subsequent inquiries led to the accused being interviewed by Detectives Hayhurst and Reed. He then admitted that he had not posted the money. Mr W. P. Rollings, who appeared for the accused, said that the young man had been in one job for some years, and had resigned recently owing to the proceedings which were pending against him. He had been living away from home and was earning about £3 10s a week. Unfortunately he became “ air-minded ” and decided to try and learn to fly. This involved him in considerable expenditure. But worse than that he became associated with some young men who led him into extravagant methods of living. To use his own words he had been “ hitting the high spots.” He fell into debt, and as a result he took the £2 that he had been given to post. The money had been repaid, and the accused had the opportunity of obtaining a new position. Counsel asked that he should be admitted to probation and that his name should be suppressed. The Magistrate admitted the accused to probation for a period of two years and made .an order that his name should be suppressed.