VALUELESS CHEQUES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 13

VALUELESS CHEQUES

FIVE OFFENCES

IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED

"He is a particularly bad offender in cases of this sort," said DetectiveSergeant P. Doyle, when George Crompton Mansfield, labourer, aged 43, appeared before Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today on five charges of obtaining money and goods by means of valueless cheques. He pleaded guilty to all charges. The amount involved was £36 6s.

The offences were as follows: —Obtaining from Mary Dillon a lady's frock valued at £4 14s 6d and £5 5s 6d in money by means 'of a false cheque for £10; obtaining on May 20 from. J. W. Walker, Ltd., cigarettes and money valued at £3 10s by means of a false cheque for that amount; on May 21 at Christchurch obtaining, from Albert Gideon Scott cigarettes, matches, and money to the value of £7 8s by means of a valueless cheque; obtaining •on May 22 from Hallenstein Bros, a hat and money of a total value of £7 8s; and obtaining from the Stanoline Oil Co. £8 in money by means of a cheque for £10 3s. Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle explained that the accused walked into the shop, of Vance-Vivian, Ltd., and asked for Mr. Vivian, who was out. He induced a clerk to give him a blank I cheque-form, and stated that he was a\Mr. .Edwards, of Auckland. He then called at a dress shop, and obtained the, dress and money as charged. Subsequently he was arrested by Detectives Fell and Brosnan. This procedure had been carried out in the other instances, the names of well-known men being signed to the cheques. The charge relating-to the oil company referred to incidents which took place on a Sunday, when the accused cashed a false cheque. The Detective-Sergeant said that since 1925' the accused had* served eight years and .four, months on 16 charges. "There! -is nothing I can say/ in his favour." he concluded. Mr. J. D. Willis, who appeared for the accused, commented on the loose business methods employed by people who were in the habit of giving away blank' cheque forms. The Magistrate: It is indeed remarkable. . ' .'

The accused was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour on'each of the five charges, two of the terms.to be cumulative, and the others concurrent. •, •.. -, .... ■. . -.