SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3033, 8 May 1926, Page 2

SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.

SOLICITOR FINED £IOO. “This is a serious offence, Your Worship, and one that is visited by a very heavy penalty,” remarked Mr J. M. Tudhope, of the Crown Law Department, in the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, yesterday, when referring to Henry Edward Elliot, a solicitor, of Opotilci, who was charged with failing to liavo his trust accounts audited by the prescribed time allowed by law. Continuing, Mir Tudhope said that the defendant had failed to supply his account —which every solicitor was supposed to send to the Re-gistrar-General by March of each year. In the present case the account had not even reached the Department by June 30, which was the final date allowed. Defendant, he continued, should have known better, for it was by no means his first offence of this nature. In 1920 he was fined £SO for the same thing at Opoliki, and in 1922 and 1925 at Auckland he was lined £IOO on each occasion for failing to have his trust accounts audited and sent along to the Department.” “Yes, the defendant should have known better,” remarked Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M. “Surely he has had enough experience to realise that these things have got to be done.” The defendant was fined £IOO and costs.