Thirteen Unlucky Number —Even in Court

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 18, 22 January 1937, Page 8

Thirteen Unlucky Number —Even in Court

GAOL FOR VALUELESS CHEQUE GIVEN IN PAHIATUA. ‘ ’ This man has thirteen previous convictions for various offences —an unlucky number," commented one of the presiding Justices of the Peace when a man appeared in the Palmerston North Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with issuing a valueless cheque. For the fourteenth breach of the law, he received lour months with hard labour.

Accused, who pleaded guilty to obtaining from Jack Cresswell Richardson a leather suitcase and £7 17s Od iu money at Pahiatua on January 16, was Norman Paul Nesbitt, alias Drinkwater, of no fixed abode.

Detective-Sergeant Bickerdiko said that accused arrived in Pahiatua, where he told a story of his car having gone over a bank in the Manawatu Gorge. He called on Rev. Father Cushman, and while his host was preparing a cup of tea, noticed a cheque book in the room. He took two forms, and later presented to the Wairarapa Farmers 7 Co-opera-tive Co., a cheque bearing the name of Watson, and made out for £lO. The cheque was cashed, accused obtaining the suitcase and change. The money he had spent, but the suitcase had been recovered. When arrested, he had beeu quite candid with the detective who interviewed him. It was likely that there would be a further charge of presenting a valueless cheque.

Messrs. J. T. Bosworth and W. Low Black, who were ou the Bench, sentenced accused as stated.

On a charge of assaulting Robert McDonald at Pahiatua on January 16, ho was remanded for a fortnight. Mr. Bickerdike said accused was suffering from a head injury, and w’ould probably require medical attention while on re mand.