A DESERTER

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 7

A DESERTER

District Constable In The Dock (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Rep.) To no other billet m the public service is there offered the same scope for parochial importance as that of a village constable. The ramifications of his authority bring him into the limelight from all angles, including the social side. DUT his manifold duties as district constable at Mangawai proved too much for Elwyn Laurence Hargraves (31) and m June last he fell from his rural throne of omnipotence. As an excuse for a series " of false pretences, Hargraves claimed that an incident m the execution of 'his 'duties was the cause of his lapse from the narrow path to which he had acted as a finger-post from April, 1926, to June, 1927. With Lawyer Hall-Skelton as his legal representative, Hargraves faced the Auckland Police Court last week to answer charges of having, between June 20 and 24, by means of valueless cheques, obtained the sum of £33/16/9 from Rose Christmas, £20/0/6 from Francis John Jacques and £13/4/6 from Edwin George Hallet, cheques drawn on a bank branch at Kaikohe. He was also charged with turning to his own use the sum of £22/7/6, which he had collected m dog-collar fees on behalf of the Otamatea County Council. Coupled with these offences came a further charge of having, as a distinct constable, "deserted his post." In laying the above information, Chief Detective Cummings informed Magistrate Hunt that a fine of £25 was applicable to the offence of "deserting his post." This Hargraves had done by applying 'to the inspector of police at Whangarei for six days' leave, when he then left for Sydney under the name of James Bates. Hargraves returned to New Zealand recently and gave himself up. In pleading guilty for the accused, Lawyer Skelton pointed out that his client was a married man with two children. Since his return, Hargraves' father had made good the position by refunding every item of the amount involved. Hargraves was a returned " soldier whose nerves had been shattered by shell-shock and during the course of his duty as district constable a . state of neurasthenia had been brought on by a suicide case m which the victim had 'his head blown off. His nervous condition had been accentuated later by worries over a soldier's farm that he had acquired. LENIENT MAGISTRATE "The result," said counsel, "was that Hargraves couldn't sleep after the suicide. What with that and the soldier's farm, he started to drink and" while m a -muddled state met another man with whom he cleared away to Australia." He was ill m Sydney for about twelve weeks, but was nursed back to health by a friend and eventually came back to New Zealand, when everything was paid up. Chief Detective Cummings: "I have only received advice of one refund — that is, the dog taxes." Counsel: "They are all paid. I paid them out myself by cheque." Magistrate: "Was that the first suicide case he had to attend?" Counsel: "Yes, sir." But he has been to the war? — Yes, and got blown"-«u_ himself . Sentence was postponed until the following day, when Hargraves received two years' probation on the charges of false pretences, with a £10 fine for having deserted his post. "I have been worried as to the right thing to do," remarked his worship m passing sentence, "but after a report from the probation officer and Chief Detective Cummings, I find there is a distinction between a district constable and a constable m charge of a district. ... "Had he been the constable m charge, I might have given him a long term of imprisonment. "This is his first lapse. Although it is done with some hesitation, I 'feel that the ends of justice will be met by the sentence I have imposed." To the chief detective's application for an order for restitution, Lawyer Skelton assurod the bench that everything had been paid. "I have plenty of money m a trust account," smilingly remarked counsel, and added that the £10 fine could be taken out of his client's last month's salary, a sum of £17, which the department still held. "I am afraid he will lose that, sir, as he deserted his post," stated the chief detective.