Council Cashier Admits Theft of £191

Grey River Argus, 10 April 1948, Page 8

Council Cashier Admits Theft of £191

CHRISTCHURCH. April 9. In the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., yesterday, Gwenda Edith Harding, aged 24, a cashier, employed by the Waimairi County Council, was charged with the theft of £l9l IBs, the property of the council. Detective-Sergeant A. A. Herron prosecuted, and Mr S. D. R. Smith (Rangiora) appeared for the accused. Hector Archibald Ferguson, county clerk, said that the accused had been employed by the Waimairi County Council for six years, the last two as cashier at the receiving office in Hereford Street, where she was the only employee. Shortly after 2.30 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, the accused and her stepfather called at witness’s home, when the accused told him she was £l9O short'in her books. He went with her to the County Council office at Bapanui. and made a preliminary check, but ho was unable then to discover anything that might account for the shortage. '■ The accused said that her stepfather would make uo any deficiency. Later, witness and the council’s accountant went through the books and found that the accused was £l9l 16s short in her cash in hand compared with the record of receipts. To Mr Smith: Each year the accused would receive over £40,000. She was well thought of as a member of the staff, and it was a shock to him to learn of the deficiency. Hugh Murray Alexander, Government audit inspector, said an investigation of fine records at the council’s branch office in Hereford Street showed a shortage of £l9l 16s in the cash in hand. The shortage appeared to have accumulated over a period of months. It was clear that the shortage had arisen through misappropriation of funds by the accused. Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty said he interviewed the accused, and she admitted taking money, but said she had not realised it was so much. She first took about £2O to pay an account, intending to pay it back, said her statement. She took further sums and tried to make up the money by using her wages to bet on horses, but was not successful. Sometimes she paid her wages into the till tojry to make up the shortage. She did not think the deficiency was so much. She intended to pay back the money and would still pay it back if given the opportunity. She pleaded guilty to the charge, and was commmitted to the Supreme Court for sentence.