THREE MONTHS’ CAOL

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 250, 25 October 1939, Page 2

THREE MONTHS’ CAOL

POST-l 11STR ESS’ THEFTS SUM OF £360 INVOLVED Sentence of three months’ imprisonment was passed by Mr. Justice Fail: in tin; Supreme Court last week on. Nora Wellington. who pleaded guilty to the theft of £360 from the Government. Counsel said that Ill’s client was a single woman, aged 54. For the past 14 or 15 years she had been postmistress at Raukokore, near Opotiki. Shehad come to lie well known and much respected in the district. Her first- act. of dishonesty occurred, four years ago,, when the house containing tlie Tost Office was burned down. To coven the losses- she falsified an account and afterwards continued to do so. His Honour said it was very painful to see. a woman of hitherto, respectablecharacter in such a. position. No satisfactory explanation had been given o£ what she had done' with the money or why she took it. He saw no sufficient. '' reason for departing from the ordinary rule that imprisonment must be imposed on persons in positions of trust for repeated offences over a con-” sidernblc time.