MAN SENT BACK TO GAOL AFTER ONE MONTH’S LIBERTY

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 November 1950, Page 3

MAN SENT BACK TO GAOL AFTER ONE MONTH’S LIBERTY

Described by the magistrate as a man who had made up his mind to go on living on his wits, Robert Bruce Todd appeared in the Wanganui Court yesterday charged with obtaining from Stanley Frank Burton, with intention to defraud, a suit valued at £l4 6s Gd and £7 in money, by representing that a cheque was a good and valid order and that it represented three weeks’ wages. The prosecution said accused, who was single and aged 22 years, had been released from reformative detention on October 5 after having served 12 months of a term of 18 months. He secured a position which lasted a week and then found himself unemployed. He had said that he was being pressed to pay his board and, not having the monev, committed this offence to secure it. He wont to Auckland, and from there he telephoned the firm which had cashed the cheque and told them it was valueless, but that he would be returning to Wanganui and would make restitution. By that time, however, a warrant for accused’s arrest had been issued. He was arrested on November 1 and had been in the lock-up since. When asked by the Bench if he had anything to say, accused stated: “I will try to nut right the wrong I have done. I don’t think people realise how hard it is to get going again when you have just been released from prison.’’ “There is plenty of work about,* said Mr Preston. Accused: But it is not easy to get established when you are away from home. The magistrate said accused had a list of previous convictions. “You had a good education, went ' the sixth form in a good school and started with a good firm, yet you have apparently made up your mind to just live on your wits.” Mr Preston sentenced accused to six months’ gaol with hard labour.