Bank Clerk Steals £4,700 by Forgery

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 735, 7 August 1929, Page 1

Bank Clerk Steals £4,700 by Forgery

YOUTH’S SUDDEN LAPSE THREE YEARS’ REFORMATIVE For four and a-half years, a trusted servant of the Bank of New South Wales, and a youth of excellent character, Samuel Fabian Wilis stole £4,700 from his employers last month by means of forged documents. He was sentenced to three years’ detention at a Borstal institution by Mr. Justice Herdman at the Supreme Court this morning. “This is one of the most painful cases it has ever been my lot to handle,” said Mr. Johnstone, who appeared for prisoner. “Up till a month ago prisoner was an honest and trusted servant of the Bank of New South Wales. He had been with the bank for four and a-half years, and was permitted to sleep on the bank premises in Queen Street. He is the son of a prominent Wanganui professional man and has been well educated. He neither drank nor gambled, and his only pleasure was the possession of a small motor-car.

“On July 6 he was working at the bank, and the following day was going off on a fortnight’s holiday. Yet on the morning of July 6 he forged a bank draft and a clearing voucher, using the names of two of his fellow-officers. He went down to Wanganui to stay with his people for a week, and cashed the draft, obtaining £2,000, later cashing the voucher and obtaining £4,700 in all.” When accused returned to Auckland he deposited about £3,800 in various banks in the city in his own name and bought a motor-car for a girl friend. When in the ordinary course of business the Bank of New South Wales became aware of the forgery, and prisoner was arrested by the police, he made a full confession and assisted in every way to clear the trouble up. Practically all the money had been recovered, and arrangements were being made for the restitution of the balance. “The crime seems to have been unpremeditated,” said counsel. “It is difficult to understand in the light of his previous exemplary life. He has wrecked his career and brought disgrace on himself and his family. This is a case in which I ask for probation, as the lad has suffered anguish and shame since his arrest, and imprisonment would only tend to set him more firmly in criminal habits.” His Honour; No matter what I do, prisoner, you have committed a foolish act. I w r ould not be doing my duty if I admitted you to probation. You have pleaded guilty to the theft of the money by forgery. This case is one of the saddest of all 1 have to deal with, inasmuch as you were not reared in poverty, but had every advantage possible, and therefore little excuse for your act. “If I were to release you on probation I would be virtually telling young men that if they stole £4,000 they would have nothing to fear but probation. What I propose to do is to sentence you to detention in a Borstal institution for a period not exceeding three yeats.”