POSTAL OFFICIAL’S LAPSE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2584, 24 May 1923, Page 3

POSTAL OFFICIAL’S LAPSE.

THEFT OF £7O. ACC I SKI) COMMITTED l-’OR SENTENCE. A young man, named Douglas Lionel Gray, postal employee, of Feilding, appeared before Ah’ J. L. Stout, S.AI., at Palmerston North Alagistrate’s Court on Tuesday, on a charge that on divers dales between "March .19 and April 20, 192.8, at Feilding. he did steal £7O 2s -Id, moneys which were the properly of the postal department. Detective-Sergeant Quirke appeared for the police, accused not being represented I>v counsel. John Thomas Williams, postmaster at Feilding, deposed that accused was a money order official and postal clerk at the Feilding post office until April 21 last. He identified some bank books (produced) and detailed how their owners had deposited various sums from £2fi downwards, accused dealing with this branch of the saving bank business and failing for sonic time to pay in the moneys thus received over the counter. Accused had also failed to pay in certain sums received for the State Advances Department. In the matter of the savings bank deposits and deposit slips. On April 21 witness, in consequence of wlmt he had noticed, interviewed accused, who then voluntarily made a statement admitting that he had wrongfully detained sums tn the amount of £7O 2s 4d. In the meantime he had paid hack £BO Iml £4 1 2s 4d was then still unaccounted for. About April 27 accused repaid all the money. Accused’s explanation was that lie had been in financial difficulties and had taken the money to tide him over, not intending to retain it, but to pay it back as he had ' doin’—£Bo before being questioned alld the balance later. Accused had been in the p, lf ,|a| department for a number of sears and for Ihe past niite'mout lis had been stationed at Feilding. Apart from the present, charge his conduct had been quite satisfactory. "When spoken 1o by witness accused bad freely told the truth. Detective-Sergeant (juirke deposed to having interviewed accused with the previous witness, when Cray had admitted the truth of the charges. All the money bad now been repaid. Accused had given every assistance to the police and had made a frank statement about the matter.

Accused pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence to the Supreme Court at Wellington, bail being allowed in bis own recognaisniiec’of £IOO.