NOT HIS FAULT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 153, 20 February 1932, Page 6

NOT HIS FAULT

ACCUSED CONSIDERS HE WAS AIDED AND ABETTED IN CRIME. HARD LABOUR PROYIDED. "The firms welcomed me with open arms," complained John Andrew Riddell when charged before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., yesterday morning, with obtaining money by false pretences. He had purchased goods by means of valueless cheques and obtained, or attempted to obtain, cash balances on the purchases. He was arrested in Rotorua when endeavouring to follow up his usual methods with Mr. Ewen, jeweller, of Arawa Street. • Senior-Sergt. Carroll said, in reference to a Wellington charge, that by means of a letter representing chat he had money in another bank, accused secured a blank cheque form from a bank clerk. This he filled in for £12 10s, and purchased cutlery to the value of £7 10s and instructed that it be sent to a lady in Pahiatua. By way of change he secured £5. Coming on to Rotorua, Riddell secured a cheque form from a local businessman and filled it in for £12 17s 6d. ! Visiting Mr. Ewen, he entered into negotiations with Mr. Ewen for the purchase of some rings, but becoming nervous said probably the cheque was Loo large and left the shop to run right into the arms of the police and was amested. Riddell was also at liberty on probation and had been guilty of a breach of the conditions. A lengthy list of previous convictions was put in. Accused pleaded guilty to all charges and appeared to consider that he was the injured person.

InJured Innocence "I have nothing much to say, siiy' he replied when asked if he wished to make a statement "except that the business firms welcomed me with open arms. They were guilty of gross careljessness. 1 I gave them false names and they never asked for any identification. The banks had also oeen warned against me, yet when I ,vent to a bank in Feilding the mana?er simply called me aside and told me that he had been warned against me. He should have sent for the police. The firms practically aided and abetted me." He also freely, and .vithout the least embarrassment, discussed his previous convictions with che magistrate. Work In Store In dealing with the case, Mr. Paterjon said it appeared that accused had started out on a career of crime and 'iad been continually before the courts fince 1921. It was his duty to inflict the heavTest sentence permissible by ihe court. "Will you give me hard labour?" pleasantly asked Riddell. "I will certainly give you as much as I can," responded the magistrate, and forthwith supplied the demand with 12 months* hard labour, followed by three years' reformative detention, on the Wellington charge. For atiempting to negotiate his cheque with Mr. Ewen, he received six months and :or a breach of his probation three nonths, the sentences to be concur:ent. Accused was remanded to appear • xt Napier on 26th inst, where other :harges* are to be heard against him