CASE AGAINST FARM MANAGER.

Shannon News, 7 June 1929, Page 4

CASE AGAINST FARM MANAGER.

THEFTS TOTALLING £284 ADMITTED.

PROCEEDS OF WOOL, SKIN AND

SHEEP SALES,

Evidence for the prosecution cn the charges against William Robert James Miller, late manager of the Kai Kai farm, on the Levin-Foxtoli Road, relating to the wrongful conversion of the proceeds of certain sales of w'ool, skins and sheep, was heard in - the Magistrate ’s' Court- at Levin on Tucsdav morning, before Messrs T. Brown and P. W. Goldsmith, J.’sP. The offences were admitted by the accused, and he was committed for sentence. The charges wore: —

Betwceu November 22nd, 1927, and March Bth, 1929, stealing wool and skins of a total value of £IOB 16s, the property of the Hon. Edward Newman.

Between August sth, 1927, and November 15th, 1928, receiving the sum of £175 4s 6cl on terms requiring him to account for the same to the Hon. Edward Newman, and fraudulently omitting to account for it, thereby committing theft.

The pros3Cutiou was conducted by Senior Detective Quirke, of Palmerston North. The accused was not represented by counsel. The nature of the offences w r as outlined by the Senior Detective, who stated that the accused'had been manager of the Kai Kai farm for about six years to the end of March last.

Pcrcival John Sladden, of Marton, stated in evidence that he was accountant for Hon. E.-N./ivman, and had the latter’s authority to represent him in this case. Witness had kept the accounts for the last two years. Accused was required to give him records of any sales from the Kai Kai farm. Certain cheques drawn on the Bank of New Zealand, Otaki, were identified by witness. They were drawn by J. Denzil Cooksley. The first cheque was dated November 22nd, 1927, and was for £2l 16s, payable to “W. Miller,” and similarly endorsed. The next was dated December 21st, 1927, and was for £23 2s. Others■ were:, June 11th, 3928, £l2; December 24th, .1928, £3B 18s; March Bth, 1929, £l3. The total was £IOB 16s. All were made payable to “W. Miller” and thus endorsed. Witness did not know of acedsed having any authority to sell wooi and skins to J. D. Cooksley, as such articles should have been sold to Levin and Co. Witness could not find any trace of these cheques being accounted for in the record of Kai Kai farm transactions. Six cheques were drawn by Lamb and Ilearle, butchers, Levin, on the Bank of New Zealand, Levin, all payable to ft W. Miller” and all endorsed in that name. The total of the six was £175 4s 6d. He could not find any record of their being accounted for to Mr Newman. In the course of his investigations witness found that transactions on the Kai Kai farm were usually submitted to Mr Newman by the accused. Kai Kai was a sheep and cattle farm, and had approximately two thousand sheep on it. Joseph Denzil Cooksley stated that he was a hide and skin dealer, of Otaki. About November 22nd, 1927, he called on the accused in the course of his (witness’s) travels as a buyer of wool and skins. Witness made various purchases of wool and skins from the accused, for which witness paid him by hi 3 own cheques on the Bank of New Zealand, Otaki, all five being made payable to W. Miller and thus endorsed. Witness identified the cheques, which were for wool and hides bought from the accused on or about the dates of the cheques’and all purchased by witness on Mr Newman’s farm. Witness had been under the impression that he was buying the woo! and hides from Mr Newman through accused as manager.

Edward’ Frederick Hearle, butcher of Levin, stated that he was formerly a partner in the firm of Lamb and Hearle. Ho identified the six cheques in favour of the accused, on Ihe Bank ,of New Zealand, Levin, endorsed “W. Miller.” These were: 1 August 4th, 1927, £34 2s; February 12th, 1928, £34 Is 6d; February 22nd, 1928, £1; June sth, 1928, £45 18s; July 9th, 1928, £34; November 15th, 1928, £29. The che-

ques wore paid for fat sheep supplied by the accused tc- Lamb and Hearle. The sheep had come from Mr Newman’s farm, through Miller as manager.

Senior Detective Quirbe stated that on May 22nd he saw the accused at Levin and showed him the cheques drawn by Mr Cooksley. Accused admitted that the cheques were paid to him for wool, the property of Mr Newman, which accused had 'sold, converting the proceeds to his own use. Witness also showed him the cheques drawn by. Lamb and Hearle. Accused admitted ‘that they had been paid to hin: for sheep belonging, to Mr Newman which be had, sold, converting the proceeds to his own use. Accused was arrested on May 22r-d. On May 29th witness saw the accused at the police station, Palmerston North, where the accused made a voluntary statement regarding each of the charges. He was cautioned, before making them, that anything he would say might be used in evidence against him. In each statement the accused admitted that the cheques mentioned in the charges had been paid to him and that he had converted the proceeds to his own use. He added that during the last three years he had had a lot of trouble. His daughter and then his wife died, and he had received accounts of £IOO and £SO for hospital and medical fees. He was not at present in a position to make restitutio;i former employer, having been

out of work for seven or eight weeks Ihe accused, who had asked no question of the witnesses, pleaded guilty to both charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court in Wellington for sentence.

Miller asked if he could be granted bail, as he had some business matters to arrange. He had been on bail, prior to this hearing, and could obtain securities again. The Bench pointed out that the accused was now awaiting sentence and it was not the custom of the Court to allow bail in such a case; therefore they were not prepared to take the •responsibility of gran tin or the request.