THEFT OF WALLET

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 27, 20 September 1946, Page 5

THEFT OF WALLET

CHEQUE CASHED YOUNG MAORI SENTENCED In the Whakatane Court last Thursday befoie Messrs. C. H. Christensen and J. King J.P.s, Mervyn Tiepa, a young Maori aged 19 years, was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment in the Whakatane gaol on a charge of theft of a wallet and cheque for £5, to a total value of £5 ss, the property of Ronald Jamieson. Accused pleaded guilty and elected to be dealt with summarily. Sergeant Farrell stated that on August 23 last, Mr Jamieson, a farmer of Te Teko, came into Whakatane. During the course of the day he dropped his wallet which contained a cheque for £5. An advertisement was inserted in the paper, but there was no response. The matter was placed in the hands of the police, and it was ascertained that accused had cashed the cheque at Wallace Supplies and had gone to Rotorua. It was there that he was caught after he had spent the money. Relatives had since made full restitution. Accused was a first offender and had attained quite a high standard of education. Observing that the offence rendered accused liable to six months imprisonment or a fine of £2O, the Bench stated that although it was a first offence, some penalty would have to be inflicted in order to make him realise. that such acts did not pay.

Sentence of 14 days imprisonment was then passed.