BANK CLERK’S THEFT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 118, 16 February 1928, Page 15

BANK CLERK’S THEFT

STOLE MONEY TO BUY MOTOR-CYCLE With a view to purchasing a motorcycle, which, according to a statement made by him to the police he_ was “madly keen about buying,” Walter Hedley Huthnance, aged 19, stole .£95 from the Wellington branch of the Bank Of New Zealand, where he was employed, in January. Huthnance appeared before Mr. E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with stealing £75, and further charged with stealing £2O from the bank in question. Eric William Moliison, a teller at the bank, said that accused, who had been working there for about two years, had. received a salary of £lOO per annum until January 11 last, when he was given an extra £2O per year. One of Huthnace’s duties was, to wait on the tollers’ boxes during the day and take the cheques which had been lodged for deposit in the bank. He used to mark the cheques cashed by stamping the teller’s number upon them. On January 20 witness counted up £2O short in cash, and did not know where the money had gone. He then remembered that he had cashed a cheque for £2O drawn by a Mr. Kinbig, but that cheque was not entered on witness’s sheet by the accused. It was eventuallyfound amongst another teller’s cheques. The red pencil mark made through it by .witness had been removed, and it had been presented again and cashed. Detective Baylis said that in the presence of Detective W. R. Murray he interviewed accused at the bank and told him that a shortage of £75 had been discovered in the cash of teller O'Driscoll on January 25. A cheque for that amount Huthnance was informed had been cashed by Mr. O’Driseoll, and had again been cashed by another teller. The cheque had then disappeared, and that being so it looked as if the thief was employed in the bank. “On February 6,” went on witness, "£75 was sent through the post to the manager of the bank, supposed to have coma from a Mr. McKenzie. is was two days after the accused had been interviewed. On February 8 Huthnance made a statement at _ the detective office m which he admitted rubbing the cancelling marks from both, cheques and having them cashed again. He said he had sent the £75 back, as he felt such a cad stealing from his fellow officers, who would have to make up the money and pay it back. He also said that' ho had returned the other £2O by placing £5 notes here and there with the tellers.” Continuing, Detective Baylis said that in a further statement accused admitted that he had not paid the £2O back, although he would have done so had he the money. He said he had told his father that he was going to pay £2O which he had saved up on a motor-cycle, but that the latter had said that he should i v him the money he owed instead of doing so. lie tlien gave the £2O to his father. Once the accused admitted the offences he had done everything in his power ,to clean the matter up. When Huthnance had pleaded guilty to the two charges and had been committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, Mr. IT. F. O’Leary, who represented accused, applied for a renewal of bail. Re said that as his client was only 19 years old he did not despair of •Bing probation when the case came before the Supreme Court. “As a matter of fact,” said counsel, “I have been talking to the Probation Officer about it. and he has given me to understand Hint he intends to recommend probation.” The accused was again allowed bail in the sum of £l5O, with one surety of ' like amount.