THEFT ALLEGED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19160, 17 November 1927, Page 6

THEFT ALLEGED.

INSURANCE MANAGER CHARGED. SUM OF £654 INVOLVED. William Roy Macdonald, . formerly Christchurch manager of the Guardian Assurance Company, appeared in the Supreme Court yesterday charged with the theft of £654 17s, the property of the Guardian Assurance Company. His Honour Mr Justice Adams was on the Bench. Mr A. T. Donnelly appeared for the Crown, and Mr W. J. Hunter for the defence. Mr Donnelly said the money was taken at intervals extending over a year or more. The sum of £404 had been restored to the company by a relative of accused. This was a totally different case from borrowing a pound or two and paying it back at the end of the month. Accused was able to conceal the fact by faking the books. Whenever an auditor came round he took the documentary evidence away. The accountant thought it had gone far enough and informed the General Manager. Accused said he borrowed the money to buy gold shares and meant to pay it backPercival Jones Townley, General Manager for the Guardian Assurance Company, said that he met accused in the Christchurch office n June 3rd and said (hat the books showed certain irregularities. Macdonald confessed, to taking £370 and £404 had been paid back. He said that he exonerated Carll, the accountant, from all blame as he had acted under instructions from accused. An audit showed'a shortage. IJobert Joseph Edward Carll, till July chief clerk in the employ of the Guardian Assurance in Christchurch, said that about 1925 accused started to get the money, putting back sometimes a. voucher, sometimes an 1.0. U., and sometimes nothing. His borrowings got so big that his salary was insufficient to pay it back. The borrowings were in sums from 5s to perhaps £2O. Most of the advances were made when the witness was away, and he had to spli'fc the entry in the ledger. The cheques had been dishonoured at the bank.

Nora Clark, book-keeper at the Insurance Company's office,, said that Macdonald used to borrow money. Once when the auditors were coming round he paid back £7.Eeginald Francis Franklin, accountant, said he made an audit of the books, and till June 6th, found a shortage of £309 2s. He found a shortage of £3S'9 2s, till the time he gave up the audit. Joseph William Trott, tailor, said that he made a suit for accused in 1921 for £lO 10s. He was insured in the company and could not get his money, so ho deducted the amount off his premium. He had heard nothing of it since. Harold Stuart Godfrey, accountant ( said he carried out the audit after Hamilton and found that £250 was missing, which had been forwarded from the Timaru office. Other evidence closed the Crown case and accused was allowed out on bail till this morning.. . .