A SOLICITOR GAOLED

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3269, 7 March 1931, Page 5

A SOLICITOR GAOLED

THEFT OF TRUST MONEY

(Bv Telegraph. Press Association.) y HAMILTON, Friday.

A former solictor of Te Kuiti, Athol Fielding; Howarth, aged 45 years, appeared for sentence before H*s Honour Mr Justice Smith at Ham lton to-day on charges of theft of trust moneys involving nearly Speaking on accused's behalf, Mr J. F. Strang said prisoner was a solicitor of long standing, and had pract:sed his profession for 22 years in Te Kuit'. Some years ago he acquired certain leaseho d property in the King Country, and he had got into financial difficulties owing to the slump and heavily-increased rents. His proper course said Mr Strang, was to have gone bankrupt but instead he had had recourse to certain trust funds. He had since made a desperate but futile endeavour to put his trust account in order. ■• His Honour said he had glanced through the papers, and had founa that the prisoner had misappropriated something like £IOOO, the property '>f two peop'e, one of whom was a carpenter. He had used that money n his own speculations, and there was no possible excuse for his action. It were much better said His Honour, for a solicitor to go bankrupt than to misappropriate'trust moneys. It did not apnear that the money was taken, to re i'eve physical distress in any way, and His Honour could see no nvt ; eat : ng circumstances. Prisoner was ordered reformative detention for a period not exceeding four years.

A land agent informed a Timaru Herald renorter the other day that a number of people who had properties on hi ls books for sa'e had interviewed him during the last few days and made substantial reductions in the price being asked.