ROBBERY AT BANK

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1932, Page 5

ROBBERY AT BANK

PLEA OH GUILTY

1 AUCKLAND CLERK’S TRIAL

(Per Press Association Copyright .J

AUCKLAND, November 4.

A plea of guiity was entered by Norman Qloag Smith, aged 25, bank clerk, >when charged. idn the ‘Police Coui’t.vAvith breaking Aafid entering by •Jay th© counting house of the Newnsai ket/.Branch of the National Bank of a&SjOTTJ*Zealand-, stealing £3220 10s, thb property of the bank. ■-Accused was arrested on Thursday even.ng by Detective Hunt, who recovered the mi sing money, buried in the ground, at the accused’s home, in Bal-. moral. Accused was represented by Mr Hall Skelton.

Murray Wafoi-an, teller at the bank, ■said that, at about 5.30 p.m, on Wednesday, he made up the cash at the bank, approximately £BOOO, and locked the money in the teller’s safe in the bank’s strongrpom. All of the notes were iu a box and were separated from the silver and .other enfos Witness did not secure, the .strongroom door, as ,he cUd ndt hold the keys for either of the twO locks. About seven, Witness accompanied by th© accused and another clerk employed 'in th e name, Mr Nuthall, left the premise*, ahd walked along Broadway together. After going aa short distance, accused remarked to Nuthall: “I have forgotten an insurance policy. I must go back to the bank and get it. Lend, me your key l” Accused was given the key, continued witne-s, and accused and Nuthall retraced their steps in the dir&ction of the bank., They returned some ■ mintes later, .and after 'walking a short distance, the accused, who had an envelope in his hand, said: “There is nothing in this. I must have got the wrong envelope.” He was again given Nut-hall’s key, and he ran toward the • bank, • Nuthall strolling after him Witness did not see what happened next, as he walked to where his motorcar was parked in Station Street, off Broadway, and then drove his car to a plosition [near the bank. Nuthall was standing outside the bank, and the accused came out alone. He was carrying a leather handbag, and was driven to his home by witness. It was discovered that £3j220 IQs had been stolen from the teller’s safe. . The notes were those produced by the police in Court. Cross-examined, by counsel, witness said he bad known accused only four months. Accused had been in the employ of the‘bank at Newmarket for about ei.dht years, and was recognised as an efficient officer.

Counsel; “Have you noticed any- * tiling abnormal about him phyiiicahv or mentally during- the past month ?’ Witness j “No.” \ 9 Counsel: “t understand he is a very strenuous worker?” * Witness: “Ye*,” 1 Counsel • “During .- the last eight years he would , hav© had ample opportunities .to .steal froip the bank? , Witness: '“Yes, if he so desired.” Counsel: “Has not his action, come as a shock to everybody?”' Witness: “It was a great shock to me.” " • ■

Graham Nuthall, clerk, replying to counsel, said he had not noticed anyIjung unusuril about the accused during the past few weeks. Accrued was a keen bank officer, and worked well. ■. Another clerk, John-Richard Woods, said that on Thursday evening, he counted a number of bank noteg at the Detective Office. They totalled £322C ;10s, and were the same notes as had been removed from the bank. Accused had no right to possess a key >to the safe, and he had not informed witnas? how he had opened , the safe. Detective Hunt interviewed accused, who frankly .admitted having stolen the money. Accused took witness to L./'hoine at Balmoral, and there dug up the money, which was concealed, in the ground at the back of the house. The notes were. 6ontaine<J in two. glass bottles and a tin. Accused told witness that he opened the ■safe, the key of which he had einc© put down a sewer. He explained about the money on his own accord, and gave every assistance. In a written statement made to the detective, accused said; “On November 2, I took from the bank at Newmarket a sum of money, AH the money that I took I gave on my own accord to Detective Hunt. The money was buried. I wish to thank Detective Hunt for the kind apd courteous manner lie has shown to me, and am only too willing to do anything I can that may be of assistance to him. I also wish to express my sincere regrets to the staff and all persons who have been put to inconvenience!, ip regard to this &fSiir.i The cash was all in notes and amounted to £3220 10 5 ..” The presiding Justices) the accused to the Supreme Court for sentence 1 . Bail wag not sought.

It was stated by counsel that he 'wished to have the accused medically eivmined ,'by experts befort sentence was parsed. He asked that the ac-cu-ed sffiould not be brought before a Judge until examined. , * This request was granted. .