THEFT OF SOLDIER'S MONEY

Chronicle (Levin), 7 May 1946, Page 2

THEFT OF SOLDIER'S MONEY

-Frczs Association

! POWER OF ATTORNEY SAID TO IIAVE BEEN ABUSED

By Telegrayh-

AUCKLAND, May (5. Light eharges of fraudulent eonversion to his own use of sums totalling £2SK)0, with nlternative eharges of theft, wero preferred in ihe Gupreme- Court against llarry Percy Lllis, aged 75, peu- | sioner. The case was lieard by A1 r. jjustice t'alian and accused conducted ! his own defence. j - The spei-ilic eharges were that, being ientrusted with a power of attorney j from Robert Glenmark FrVett, on May ! 1 s, 1944, accused between June 25, i 1944 and Febniary 12, 194(5, stole from iFrvett's accounts in the Auckland LSavings Bank, Post Offiee Lavings j Bank and Oonunorcial Bank of Austra- , lia, various sums, the largest of wMcli ' was £2502 9s 5d from the Conunercial j Bank. Lxpiuining the circuinstances, j Mr. Meredith, for the Crown, said coni- | plaiuaut was a young soldier who went joverseas in 1944. His fatlier had died iiu 192(5 and liis niother in 1945!. His j gramlfather had left -him a legacy ot '£4000 to beeome available when lie 1 turned 21 years of age. Aliout 19.42 accused came to live with Fryett and : his motiier and assumed the name ot Fryett altliough he had no -right to it. I Three days after Fryett was called up , for active sorvice he was persuaded by accused to give him power of attorney j wliicii was unl'ortunately wide and comj prelieusiv e. Fryett asked accused not J to touch uny of his assets except in the j case of extreme necessity. When lie re- ] turned in February last after .19 .nionths' abseiico, Fryett found that out J oi" an estato of £4491, only £591 remainJ ed to him. Mr. Meredith said inquirics i revcaled that accused had been spendi ing no less than £20 a week on taxis j and that he had been running about to j t ii.y hotyls accompaniod by women aiid .going to races in ihe countrv. He also j made loans to people who were more or | less strangers to him and gave presents ;to a married wonian of his acquaintance. j Accused said lie had bought a farm at : Huapai for Fryett and also a sliare in j an liotel for him but this proved to be i : unt-rue. Accused had restored nothiug | sud had greaily almsed the trust that ; this young fellow had reposed in him. j in his evidence liobert Gleiunark ! i Fryett said accused had assumed the re- | i .vponsibilities of fatlier in his home and ! ! was alwavs very domineering. When 1 'witness went overseas he left accused j ; an allotmeut of 5s a day. He did not | realise what full powers he was giving j accused in the power of attorney. . t The manager of a suburban brancli , 'store gave e\ idence that accused- had j ntrcliased £125 worth of goods last year j including many articles of foininine | wear. 1 A amirried woman tohi of taxi trips l-she had had with accused, including one l to Ihe Te Aroha races. A representativc of a brewery firni said accused oft^u purclnised two do/.en qnarl Iiottles of beer. The henring. will be conlinued to morrow.