THROUGH TWO WARS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 915, 7 March 1930, Page 1

THROUGH TWO WARS

MAORI GAOLED FOR FALSE PRETENCES RECOMMENDED FOR V.C. With' a line record in both the South African War .and the Great War, Henry Vereoo, a Maori, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 12 months’ reformative detention, when he pleaded guilty at the Police Court this morning to eight charges of false pretences. it was said of accused that he had been recommended for the Victoria Cross, but could not be awarded the decoration on account of his criminal record, which went back to 1912, Vercoe, describe*:! as a clerk, aged 4S, pleaded guilty through Mr. Fraer to eight charges involving a sum of £35 19s 6d. The charges were of obtaining money by valueless cheques, demand drafts and, on one count, of falsely representing that a promisory note for £390 was genuine. The offences were committed at Avoftdale, Drury, Otahuhu and Whangarei in December and January. LAND TRANSACTIONS _ According to Detective-Sergeant Kelly, accused was a married man living apart from his wife. He had travelled the coun try obtaining money by false pretences, telling his dupes he was engaged on a native land transaction. “He is no stranger to the court,” the senior-sergeant added. “He has 11 previous convictions for false pretences.” Counsel said he had been discussing accused with Mr. R. P. Tole, the incoming president of the Law Society, who had described him as the bravest man he had ever known. Mr. Tole had been associated with him during the war and recalled an occasion on which Vercoe had brought in to safety another man at present practising as a lawyer in Auckland. For that Vercoe had been recommended for the Victoria Cross, but. it could not be awarded him on account of his convictions.

Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.: Yes, I know that he is a brave man all right, but he just can’t go straight. Drink was held by counsel to be partly responsible for accused’s actions. He had been short of money as a land deal he had been putting through at Rotorua had been temporarily suspended. “He is a good soldier, but a rotten civilian, as Mr Tole says,” counsel added. “Vercoe has expressed a wish to make restitution, and I would suggest that he be committed to a prison camp.” The Magistrate: I can’t do that. It depends entirely on his behaviour. He has_ not been so long out of gaol, \ereoe was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 12 months’ reformative detention.