FALSE PRETENCES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 3

FALSE PRETENCES

RETURNED SOLDIER'S MIS- ■ DEMEANOURS. Eight charges of obtaining money by false pretences were admitted by a man named Percy Kirkby at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The offences in detail wero that in September 18, at Masterton, he obtained ,£2G from Frederick Donovan; on September 25, at Woodville, he obtained JE9 10s. from Ernest William Kuddick; on October 2, at Taihape. he obtained from Charles Alexander Phillips the sum of £2 18s.; on October 5, at Onehunga, he obtained a collar and .£4 19s. in cash from Leonard Whitaker; on "October 7, at 'Onehunga, he obtained £3 from Itichard Sutherland; on October 8, at New Plymouth, he obtained £i from Harold John Stanley, bookman; on October 11, at New Plymouth, he obtained from Frank Shields Plumtree a handkerchief valued at Is. nnd .£3 19.?. in cash; and that on October 17, at Levin, he obtained from Kenneth Aitken the sum Chief-Detective Boddnra said Kirkby returned' from tho war a few months ago, and then co'mmenced a career of crime and began drinking. His visits extended from Auckland to Westport. To some people ho represented that ho had consignments of goods on hand, and from them ho obtained sums of money. To other neoule he tendered valueless cheques." Unfortunately for t accused this was not his first appearance before the Court. In Auckland, in 1913; ho was ordered to como up for sentonce when called upon on six charges of false pretences, and in .Tune of the present year 'he-was cbnvictod of theft in Wellington and'ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. At Westport recently he was sentenced to three months imprisonment on two charges of fnlse pre; fences. "The only thing T can Bay, added tho Chief-Detoctivo, "is thnt by pleading guilty he has saved the 'country unci the police a good deal of expense. He is a married man with a family. _ Accused stated that tho conviction in 1913 wns for a breach of the Bankruptcy Act. As a Tesnll: of the conviction in Juno ho had lost his pension. Tn roplv to the Mnpislrnln, Mr. F. V. Vrnior, S.M., accused said lie was nt present serving the sontem-o of rhreo months' imprisonment referred to -i""™. and would not come out of, gaol till I'euAreu'er! was entered to luidergo reformat ive detention for a period of not mere I'inn two years. His Worship snid that it would rest with the Prisons-Bonrd whether accused would be liberated before the expiry of that term.