“SIR ROBERT GUNTER”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 297, 7 March 1928, Page 1

“SIR ROBERT GUNTER”

IMPOSTOR GAOLED IN SYDNEY EXPLOITS IN AUCKLAND By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. SYDNEY, Tuesday. An Englishmen named Robert Willtom Gunter was to-day sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of falsely representing that he was Sir Robert Gunter, thus obtaining the use of a motor-car. The police said accused had many previous convictions in London and in New Zealand fo • similar offences. He had victimised a number of leading Sydney business men. While Gunter was en route to Australia on the Marama from Auckland early in February he represented to the passengers that he had received cablegrams apprising him that his uncle had died and that the title was then hs. On his arrival at Sydney he engaged a suite of rooms at a leading hotel as “Sir Robert Gunter.” —A. and N.Z. In April, last year. Gunter was sentenced to gaol for obtaining: money by falsely representing that he vas Surgeont’ommaider Joy of the Royal Navy. He was released ear"y in January last, but. had only been free a week when he 'vas again arrested on a charge of vagrancy. It was said he had been posing •n “Mr. Selfridge,” of Selridge’s, London. Gunter left the court in charge of Captain Davies, of the Salvation Army. After T hat he approached the local tramway authorities. with whom he conversed about trams and buses, talking like an expert. On February 4 Gunter left Auckland for Sydney by the Marama. A few later a cablegram from Sydney related an interview with him in which discussed the future of tramways and buses, describing himself as ‘‘consulting er.giner to the London General Omnibus Company.” Gunter stayed at several hotels in Auckland under false names, including that “Sir Robert Gunter, of White’s Club, London,” and ‘‘l>r. Gunter, of H.M.S. Philomel.” When he was convicted in Apr:! last year it was said that he originally came to New Zealand on the lonic, being employed on board as a washer of dishes. He is a w ell-spoken Englishman and has had a college education.