FORGERY AND UTTERING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 126, 21 February 1919, Page 6

FORGERY AND UTTERING

' ■ A PALMERSTON NORTH CASE.. 3y .Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) ; ' Palmsrston North, February 20. An.instauce of the/long arm.of'the law " came to light in-the Supreme Court to- : day, when Howard; Patton > Grandy, a prisoner of good .address and prepossessj'ing'appearanfce, caaie ! up for sentence by /' Mr. Justice Chapman on a- charge of forgery and uttering at Feilding, to, which , "ho had pleadeil guilty in the Lower Court. A cheque, which was for ,£52 10s., purported to be drawn on- one William ' J.-' Bandy, of Wellington, and was cashed at Feilding by William'J. Haybittle. Prisoner, who said that lie came from ■J Wellington, where'he had been in business "as an electrical engineer, told the Court that he had got into liusiness dif- ' Acuities and when he committed the offence ha intended to make the amount good before tho cheque,would be returned dishonoured.- •Unfortunately, the day after he committed the forgery, lie fell ill. His arrest--had smashed, him and ■ completely broken'up his business. His Honour commented that that did ■ not alter the fact that the'crimc had been a deliberate one and was not committed on the spur -of the -moment. • According to the 'Crown Prosecutor, there'were three previous convictions against the prisoner. . . 'STlie prisoner explained-that, tho last of the three was for $11 offence committed fifteen years previously.'.: He wtnt :away to file South African War, and when lie came back to New Zealand, alter an ab- . eence of'fifteen .years, this o!d -charge , ,;yras brought up against him._ It was mentioned: that prisoner was awaiting sentence]oll another charge. ■ ' llw .Honour, where 1 he ;had'been' during the present'war./'Prisoner replied .-.that lie lind vol I'll- ■ teered but 'had, been rejected, 011 account - of a ,wound beside his heart received in 'the South African campaign. His .'Honour remarked that lie could ■ onlv Kent the prisoner's offeree as.h «<!- ; dilating crinie.: .He. wished he c'oiild do otherwise.■' A sentence of;twelve months' imprisonment ■ with hard: labour would - have to-be imaosed.