THEFTS BY SOLICITOR

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18723, 25 August 1932, Page 8

THEFTS BY SOLICITOR

OVER £SOO TAKEN. REFORMATIVE DETENTION. ROBBED PETER TO PAY PAUL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. In the Supreme Court, Charles Firth Woodhead, ex-solicitor, for theft of £491 and £BS, was ordered eighteen months' reformative detention. Counsel for Woodhead said prisoner was a married man, with a young family. He had had a brilliant scholastic career, and started in a good office where the office routine was not good and the methods of handling cash were very lax. He worked there for some time, and learned very had practices. Later prisoner was placed in charge of branch offices at Rakaia and Ivaiapoi. There were no irregularities at these branche offices. Eventually', the practitioner for whom Woodhead worked died suddenly, and Woodhead took over control. It was plain that Woodhead did not have the experience necessary. There was a shortage in that office of some £IO,OOO. Woodhoad thus entered into an impossible muddle. Ills Honour: But he did not take over liability for the £10,000? Counsel: No, but he got into the middle of this muddle. He spent a great deal of V.k\c trying to unravel these muddles, and in the end it became a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. ' Woodhead got no monetary advantage out of It.