STOLE TRUST MONEY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 June 1927, Page 1

STOLE TRUST MONEY

CLERK IN TROUBLE TWO YEARS’ PROBATION • YIELDING at first more to impulse than to any preconceived intention to steal, a young clerk, aged 17, employed by a large city agency, helped himself to his firm's money, which it was hie duty to check before he banked it. One day in March, while he was carrying out his duties he found that one bundle of notes was £lO short. He reported this to the manager, and on totalling up another roll of notes found the bundle contained £lO too much. But without acquainting the cashier of his discovery he put the note in his pocket. On May 10 and June 6 other amounts of £2O and £lO were missing from the office cash, with suspicion falling upon the whole staff in the office. Finally the manager taxed the young man with the theft, which he denied at first, and later admitted. Such was the evidence given by Chief-Detective Cummings in the Police Court this morning, when the hoy came before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., to answer three charges of theft. Counsel for the delinquent, in asking tor probation, said the chief-detec-tive had stated the case quite fairly. The boy had been in Auckland for five years and was earning 35s a week at the time of the offence. Out of this he paid his mother £l, and was a dutiful and considerate son. “He has no viees and he doesn t drink or gamble,” said t ft probation officer in telling what he knew of the hoy’s past. ‘‘He seems quite repentant now,” added Mr. Campbell. “I don’t wish to place,' any obstacle In the way of probation in this case. ’ said Mr. Cummings, ‘‘but I wish to Point out that suspicion fell on the w hole staff where the boy was employed.”

**l will admit him to probation for a t*nn of two years,” said the magistate, “but if it were not for the recommendation of the probation officer I should feel inclined to send him to the Borstal." The lad’s name was suppressed with *ome reluctance by Mr. McKean, and "J was ordered to make restitution of the £l6 out of the £4O stolen, £24 Jiving been recovered by the police.