COURT MARTIAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 340, 29 September 1932, Page 5

COURT MARTIAL

(Pross. As.sn.-

COURT'S FINIHNG AGAINST PETTY OFFICER ON TRIAL SOME CIIARGES PROVED

-By Telegraph — Copyrlglit). •

Auckland, Wednesday. The trial by naval court-martial of Pcity-Officer Samuel George Adams, supply petty officer on the sloop Laburnum, was continued to-day. Accus.ed was cliargvd, inter alia, with fraudulently converting £17 10s 8d. Addressing the Court the civilian - counsel for the dol'ence paid a tribute to the fairness with which the evidence for the ju'osecution had been presented. lle said that the evktence • of the naval medical officers that accused's neurasthenic condition was-* principally due to alcoholism would he con'tradicted, and it would be proved that his action in wandering off the ship in the early hours of the morning was due to neurasthenia, and was not caused by alcoliol. Counsel said accused's failure to lceep boolcs by which issues of clothing* eould be checkod • made it impossible to produce evidenee such as would he needed to justify a conviction in any criminal court. Adequate proof of the charge of fraudulent conversiou W(is impossible from the hotchpotch of blundering and inaccuracy which the evidenee had disclosed. The court found that the charges of improperly leaving the ship and negleeting to lceep properly the sup])lies and provision lists were pa*oved. The charge of failing to hand over to the accounting officer tho sum of £180 10s 2d received for elothing, tobacco, etc., was partly proved, in that accused had failed to deliver- £13 19s lld. The charge of fraudulently converting £17 10s 8d was not proved. Acchsed was acquitted on the fourth charge. On the other charges he was ordered to he kept in detention for 30 days and forfeit two days' pay. The sentence resulted in accused being derated from supplies petty officer to supply assistant, and also losing his good conduct stripo.