TWO YEARS' HARD LABOR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1914, Page 6

TWO YEARS' HARD LABOR.

THE CASE OF GILLESPIE". tt£PB&cPRESB Association.] ' Wellington, February 17. Oliver Noel Gillespie, solicitor, who was committed from Palnjersjtpn North on seven-charges of theft; of trust came up for sentence before the Chief Justice to-day. :;';), Arthur Clark, of the 'firm of o]ai«k and Menzies, auditors, gave evidencfc that his firm had been' investigating accused's business affairs. The position was that there might be a surplus in the trust account. Othei securities had been discovered which did not affect the trust account, and these would realise., a fairly large sum. Accused had lent out trust rfioney without any security, and in some cases without interest. The deficiency in the trust account was practically nil. His Honor: Is there any chance of the people who gave the trust moneys to him getting repaid?—Witness : Very considerable.

His Honor: Will they get paid in full ?—Witness: It all depends upon how the estate is realised.

In reply to other questions, witness said he did not think accused had spent more than he had actually earned. He would not like to say the people who gave the trust moneys would get 20s in the £. They would get a very considerable sum—anything from fifteen shillings upwards.

His Honor said the prisoner's case was unique. He had not benefited by the money. The whole business seemed to have been beyond Gillespie's management or control, and he appeared to have kept his books in a great muddle. At the same time, prisoner knew "the law, and that he had no right to divert trust moneys from their legitimate channels. The Chief Justice added that he did not propose to pass a heavy sentence. Gillespie had come back voluntarily to New Zealand, and by his assistance a .considerable sum of money had .been recovered. He would be sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labor.