ON WEDDING EVE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 2 October 1934, Page 8

ON WEDDING EVE.

Man Arrested for Making False Declaration. IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED. Arrested at Knox Church on the eve of his wedding, John Yarcoe, a labourer, twenty years of age, of Ashburton, appeared before Mr E. D. Mosley. S.M., in the Police Court this morning, charged with failing to comply with the terms of his release on probation, with false pretences and with making a false declaration to the Registrar of Marriage. Yarcoe, who was represented by Mr Young, pleaded guilty to all charges. For the breach of probation he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour and for false pretences to four months’ hard labour. On the charge of making a false declaration he was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. In outlining the case, Chief-Detective Dunlop said that the accused had ordered 100 donation receipt books, representing that he was collecting for the Ashburton High School Old Pupils’ Association. lie had canvassed in the city and suburbs and had collected a substantial amount. He had accounted lor £3 15s 6d. but there were a number of books missing and if these were found they would no doubt show that the accused had collected a very much larger sum. It had been found that he had perpetrated a similar kind of fraud in Ashburton, but his brother had paid up and no prosecution had resulted. The accused had previously been convicted for false pretences and fraud. Mr W. 11. Darby (Probation Officer) said that the accused had been released on twelve months’ probation at Ashburton early this year. Mr Darby then handed the Magistrate a report from the Ashburton Probation Officer. A Fine Record. Mr Young said that the accused came from a well-known Ashburton family. He had had a fine record at the Ashburton High School, being a member of the First XV. and First XI. He had never been in trouble until March of this year. Contributory causes* were serious illnesses that the accused had suffered. Dealing with the indictable charge of, making a false declaration to the Registrar of Marriages, Mr Young said that Yarcot had been mixed up with a girl and wanted to marry her. He asked for his parents’ consent but they refused. Yarcoe was desperately in need of money to carry out the marriage and had adopted the method of canvassing for subscriptions to accomplish it. Counsel submitted that, if the accused were given another chance, he would not appear before the Court again. In sentencing Yarcoe on the two charges, the Magistrate said Yarcoe had set nut on a deliberate career of fraud. This would have to be stopped. A constable gave that he interviewed the accused at Knox Church regarding the making of a false declaration to the Registrar. The accused admitted the offence and was taken to the Detective Office. The statement he made embodied the two other offences. In answer to a question by the Magistrate, witness said the marriage had not taken place. Arrangements were being made at the time the accused was arrested. The accused was committed to the Supreme Coxirt for sentence.