BOTH COMPLICATED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 229, 27 September 1928, Page 7

BOTH COMPLICATED.

THE CASE AND THE MAN.

SALESMAN SENT TO GAOL.

"This seems to me to be a very complicated case," said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Police Court this morning, when evidence was being given in the case of Ernest Hodge (31), a salesman, who pleaded not guilty to three charges of fraudulently omitting to account to Vernon Venables for money totalling £7 10/, thereby committing theft.

"Yes, and the accused is a complicated sort of man. too," replied Chief Detective Hammond.

However, it appeared that Venables was meditating upon starting , a newspaper in Papakura and engaged Hodge, who called upon him, to canvas for advertisements. There was a hitch in the negotiations alxmt the paper, and in the meantime Hodge was paid £3 weekly to secure advertisements in a. booklet or programme. He collected money without authority and did not account for it.

Hodgo said that Venables told him to keep the money he collected, but this was denied by complainant.

Mr. Hunt told Hodge that he did not believe this story and convicted him.

Chief Detective Hammond said that if he only kept straight, Hodge was a good salesman. But he was a confirmed drunkard and had been a source of annoyance to the police.

Hodge was then rharged with breach of probation, the probation officer, ilr. W. J. Campbell, stating that accused, on seven charges of theft, on April 29 last was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and placed on probation for two years. Later he was before the Court for vagrancy and consorting, receiving two months' imprisonment and warned that he would be dealt with if he got into trouble again. Hodge was sent to prison for six months on one of the charges.