VALUELESS CHEQUES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 46, 24 February 1930, Page 14

VALUELESS CHEQUES

MAN SENT TO GAOL

AN EX-NAVAL OFFICER

The issuing of valueless cheques of late by Roland Hemy Whippey, a salesman, aged 34, eventually brought 'him in contact with the police, and ho came before Mr. E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court, on Saturday for having obtained £5 by a false pretence, and a further £1 and board and lodging ,by similar means. Whippey's previous record was • not a good one, and the Magistrate sentenced him, to six months' imprisonment. i

Chief-Detectivo Lopdell said' that shortly after Whippey arrived in New Zealand about six years ago he came under thu notice of the police and had built up against hiinsclE rather a bad record. Six months ago he served a term of imprisonment, and since obtaining his liberty lie had created an atmosphere in his own favour- at one of the local banks by representing . that a considerable arnouul of money and securities were coming to him from England. He obtained a chequebook and issued ten cheques, several of which he had derived no benefit from. One he gave to a certain worthy cause iv Wellington as a donation. A second he gave as a loan to a person who, by handing it on to another person, was under an obligation to make g*od the cheque, which, turned out to be valueless. The first of the charges against the accused resulted from -him having gone to a business man at Petone and irranged to take premises there as the representative of a business firm in Wellington. He paid rent in advance for the premises, but did not take them over. Whippey then purchased a good deal of furniture, tendering a valueless cheque in payment, but the furniture was not delivered, as the furniture dealer got to know there was something wrong. When he said he would take the premises at Petone Whippey gave the name of Wilson. He told the man with whom he was dealing that his wife was going away, and as lie was short of money, asked him to cash a cheque for £5. Whippey issued a cheque, which was valueless, in the name cf Wilson, and this was cashed for him. With regard to the second charge, Wh'ipfiey gave a cheque to his landlady for board ■ and lodging, and received £1 change. The accused was said to be an ex-naval- officer with a pension allowed him by the Home authorities, out of which he actually received £1 10s a week. "One cannot understand," added_ Chief Detective Lopdell, "why a man in his position and getting £1 10s a week should involve himself in illegal transactions like this. I think he could easily make a good living honestly." . "The only thing I have to say, sir,_ is that I am afraid I have been drinking heavily lately," said Whippey, from the dock, in reply to a question from the Magistrate. In sentencing the accused, Mr. Page remarked that during the last five years Whippey had eight convictions ogainst him. ■■