TAXI-DRIVERS DEFRAUDED.

Shannon News, 19 January 1923, Page 3

TAXI-DRIVERS DEFRAUDED.

“VET.” ADMITS CIRCULATING VALUELESS CHEQUES.

Three taxi-drivers from Levin, Shannon and Palmerston Noi’th respectively, told a doleful story of how they had been “taken in” by a young man who bore the hall-mark of prosperity. Harold Avery Clayton, described as a veterinary surgeon, was placed in the dock before Messrs J. H. Stevens and G. A. McLeavey, J’s.P., yesterday morning on three charges of obtaining credit by false pretences on January 3 and 4, 1923. Detective-Sergeant Quirke prosecuted. Accused was not represented. The charges were of obtaining credit to tne amount of £3 from A Tonkin, of Palmerston North, by means of a valueless cheque on the Bank of Australasia at Levin on January 4; obtaining credit to the extent of £2O by a similar process from William Cochrane at Shannon on January 3, and of obtaining credit to the value of £5 from William Makey at Levin on January 3, by falsely stating that he had an account with the Bank of New Zealand at Levin.

The accused was also charged that at Wellington on December 29 he did obtain from Albert Edward Brooks a motor car valued at £75 by means of a valueless cheque, and on this count he was remanded to appear at Wellington on January 24. In opening the case, Detective. Sergeant Quirke stated that the accused had arrived in Levin in December last, and commenced to practise as a veterinary surgeon While there, he had issued valueless cheques and obtained credit for them. The evidence would show that he enjoyed several motor journeys, some of them 'being as far as New Plymouth, on the valueless cheque scheme. Evidence was given by William Makey, a taxi-driver residing at Levin, to the effect that the accused engaged him to drive him to Shannon, and when the destination was reached the accused borrowed a cheque book from the witness, stating that he had an account with the Bank of New Zealand at Levin. They returned to Shannon and came through to Palmerston North, finally returning to within a mile of Shannon. When at Palmerston North witness gave the accused a blank cheque drawn by the accused and made payable to the witness. Witness also lent the accused £2 10/_ in money. The cheque was for £7 10/, of which amount the sum of £5 was to be for taxi hire. ,

Witness presented the cheque at Levin, but it was returned marked “no account.”

William Cochrane, a taxi-driver of Shannon, told a similar story in regard to being approached by the accused who asked for a quote to take him to New Plymouth, On arrival at New Plymouth accused wrote out a cheque for £2 0, to be drawn at Palmerston North on the Bank of Australasia. On presentation the next day the cheque was returned marked “nc account.”

A. Tonkin, a local taxi-driver, told the Court that he had been engaged on the morning of the 4th to motor through to Shannon, with a lady and the accused. The accused returned with witn>ss and then asked ‘if witness would prefer to be paid immediately or wait until he had completed another job to New Plymouth, which had been mentioned. Witness preferred an immediate settlement for the tirst job, and after going inside, the accused; returned with a cheoue, but witness ascertained before doing the second job that the cheque was worthless. Detective-Sergeant Quirke stated that he had interviewed the accused at the Police Station on January 13. The accused was quite candid and ad_ . mitted that the cheques had been written and uttered by him and were vafueless. He also admitted that when he engaged the taxis he had no money to pay for them. In a statement, the accused said he was a veterinary surgeon residing at Palmerston North, and he had no excuse to offer except that he had committed the offences whilst under the influence of liquor. Asked if he had anything to say before the case went on to the Supreme Court, Clayton said he had no recollection of having signed the cheques, as he was drunk. On the Friday he woke up outside the Urenui hotel. The publican took him in and gave him a reviver before sending him out to “straighten up.” A plea of guilty was entered in each case, and the accused was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.

At the New Plymouth Court, the same accused appeared on a charge of obtaining £1 Irom David Edward Scott at Mokau on January 6, by falsely representing that he was assistant to i Robert Bruce Townley, the Public Works engineer at Awakino. The accused elected to be dealt with summarily, and pleaded guilty. Detective Cooney said the accused made his way to Mokau on the date in question. When he arrived at the ferry he was riding a horse. He told Mr Scott that he was assistant engineer to the Public Works Department at Awakino. He had borrowed horses on the way up, and Scott knew the horse be was riding to belong to one of the settlers of the district. Scott took the accused over the ferry and then the latter said he was short of money, and having left his cheque book behind, he asked for a loan of some money, and Scott gave him £l, for which the accused gave a receipt. It Was afterwards found that the accused was not the assistant engineer, as he had represented, and Constable Blaikie was communicated with, and the arrest was effected at about midnight. The accused then had only 6/ in hks possession. Detective Cooney said the accused had several previous convictions against him. and had been released from a period of reformative detention on November 21 last. . Accused had nothing to say in answer to the charge. In- reply to the Bench he said he had not been working for Mr Townley. The sentence! of the court was one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.