COMMON SWINDLER

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 230, 29 September 1926, Page 3

COMMON SWINDLER

THEFTS BY AUCKLAND SOLICITOR. SENT TO GfAOL FOR TWO YEARS.

[Press Association.]

AUCKLAND, Sept. 29. Henry Kar© Emanuel, aged 25, a solieitor, who ploaded guilty to forgerles and thefts involving £6000, •was sentenced at the Supreme Court to two years' liard labor, followed by three years' reformative treatment. Mr Justiee Herdman characterised the crim.es as besmirching a great pix>feission and the lowering of' Emanuel to the level of h common swindler. Mr Singer, counsel for Emanuel adniitted that there was no possible palliation. for his client's offences. Emanuel was twenty-five years of age. He had been, employed by a firm of solicitors in Dunedin " till 1923, when he carne to Auckland. He was a cliligent student. "But," added Mr Singer, "there is a fault iu a system which allows a modern student to enter into practice before he has had the necessary training." The only plea he could put forward was that Emanuel was mentally unhinged. His Honor said that how the prisoner came to do what he had done was probably accounted for by what counsel had stated, but that would be looked into by the proper authorities. Addressing the aceused His Honor said: "Of many cases of dishonesty that have corrie niy way this is the most extraordiriary. You, as a solieitor of this Court, stole uearly £6000, and how you did it is beyond me. Had you been a povertystricken man you may have been entitled to more sympathy, but you are highlv educated and there is' no excuse for you. Not only did you steal from people, but you have dishonored a great profession. A lawyer knows lte is trusted. and to dishonor his profession is to drag it through the mud. T shall say no more. Everythino- that could be said has been put forward by your counsel." His Honor passed Ihe senfencq as stated.