Two Men Sent For Trial Over Car Deals

Chronicle (Levin), 8 October 1949, Page 7

Two Men Sent For Trial Over Car Deals

— -o- • WELLINGTON, Oct. 7. •Denying all 38 charges .of false pretences and two of theft on dates between March 11, 1949, and May 26, 1949, involving £17,260 in alleged motor transaetions, William McLue Ford, aged 25, carpenter, and Desmond Paul Q fOonnor, aged- 23, cierk, both, of W elJ.ington, were .^pminlttedVfor trial at. .the next sessions of the* Supremp . Oourt in .'Gisborne... Eyidence w&ft yqmplete'd. late .today. after .a three-d.ay sittiiig prbsided fpver .by *' % / . . j "Affpr/liepring the "evideiice of ihe .purqhasei;!.' of trueks' and cars, My. K. Gyianders 'sfeott 'said' that he had' been instructed By ^jre;'dlfebtoirli,id£; Na'tipnal InsiiFande Gdrhphny- Limited for YPhpur he hfeld a watehihg brief tO' 'bring tO'the hOtice' of *thA Gburt and eounsel erigaged-'tliat the -Nationai Insurance Company had- now received"' payment froin the New Zealand Guarantee Cor poration Limited of all moneys owing by way of 'insurance premium in connection with motor vehieles subject to the charges before the Court. The company. also did not propose taking anv form of civil action against the two accused. Ralph Vincent Jones, public accountant, Wellington, said he had been instruuted by the New Zealand Guarantee Corporation to investigate the sale ot motor vehieles by De Luxe Motors and the finance in the corporation. He inspeftted the majority of the vehieles soJd and produced a schediile showing the name of conditional purchaser, the amouxit of advance and why t'he finance shbuid not have ueen fortlicoming had the triie f acts beeh. known, ' and ' his estirnate of tlie anticipated recOvery of the total amount advaneed on those vehieles was £16,959 11s 6d', and the total anticipated recovery- of £6500. The condition of the vehieles had been ' ' very, very bad indeed. ' ' Cross-examined by Mr. Pabian on individual iteins on the schedule, witness said the deposits were too low in some 'cases. Unless the dealer got a deposit in cash or in kind at the time of the deal the transaction would not be aeceptable to the corporation. Witness gaid he checked up on the ownership and found -that the conditional , purchaser did not have a transfer of ownership in many cases. Owners other than De Luxe Motors wrere shown, but they were mostly individuals. To his knowledge 110 other motor firm was named. Only about 15 per cent. were in the name of De Luxe Motors as owners. John George Genimell, a bank officer, of Gisborne, said accused had an account'at the Bank of Australasia under the name of De Luxe Motors on March 11, 1949, with a deposit of a cheque for £279 15s Id, and the last transaction was a withdrawal on June 20, 1949, amounting to £109 Ss, leaving a nil ba.lance. To Mr. Fabian, witness said there •was no doubt that the lirst njpneys to accused 's credit came from the New Zealand Guarantee Corporation. , Deteetive-Sergeant Ilichard Waterson, in evidence, said that on August 25, J 949, the two accused came to the pOlice station and said they had heard complaints against them by the N.Z. Guarantee Corporation and wished to clear the matter up. They were cautioned and dec-lined to make any statement in writing until they had -

seen their solicitor. They told witness that they had bought out Civic Motors from Jack Beecher in March, 1949, and had oarried on the business as De Luxe Motors until the end of May, 1949. During that time they had sold- 44 vehieles on liire purchase, some of which had been the subject of the charges. Witness said he told them that he had had a complaint from the Nationai Insurance Company that payments in respect of 16 vehieles had not been made. Asked what had happened - accused were alleged to have said that the money "just went. " Witness said he arrested the two accused and charged them with failing to account. . Because one of his witnesses was in hospital and another away in other parts -Detective-Sergeant Waterson said he had no evidence to oft'er on the charges of false pretences relating to vehieles alleged to have been sold to Honotapu and Linton. At his requesi those two charges were dismissed. Accused, who pleaded not guilty, were committed for trial. The police objected to bail, but the Bench granted .bo-il^as At present,- £400 with two sureties of £200 each;