Bride Won By Lies

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 162, 29 September 1927, Page 1

Bride Won By Lies

CRIMINAL'S “PRESTIGE” CAREER OF FRAUD ENDED “Your Honour, —er, Your Worship, I am now doing nine months. I ask that my sentence of six months on two charges be made concurrent." SLIP of the tongue, in the Police Court this morning, revealed the fact that Edward Charles Townsend, 32 years of age, has had previous experience in addressing the Bench. His plea was emotional, and his fingers beat a nervous tatoo on the rail in front of him. Chief-Detective Cummings detailed to the court the happenings loading up to Townsend’s appearance to answer three charges of obtaining a, total of £24 15s by means of valueless cheques, and further, of stealing an attache case worth £8 11s 6d. No sooner had Townsend discarded the insignia of the broad-arrow after his second term of imprisonment for larceny in an Australian gaoH, than he decided to try New Zealand. He arrived in Auckland on July 19 with his bride-to-be, a girl whose love he had won on the way over, and got married on landing. He went to a leading hotel, and paid for Mr. and Mrs, Townsend’s board with a valueless cheque. Then the couple went to Rotorua for the honeymoon. But Townsend suddenly fled to Wellington, leaving his bride destitute, and subsequently made his way to Christchurch, where he was arrested for false pretences in ! the capital city. “This Australian criminal has ruined i this girl’s life,” said Mr. Cummings. { “It is not true that I have ruined her I life.” the prisoner burst out "As bad as the case looks against I me—she intends to stick to me," [ he added in a voice quivering with emotion. "I told her lies to keep up my prestige—” "A prestige you never had, | snorted Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Townsend, who pleaded guilty to all charges, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment from this date, the terms to be concurrent. The period of his detention will be added to by two years’ reformative treatment.