EX-SCHOOL TEACHER GAOLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1039, 1 August 1930, Page 1

EX-SCHOOL TEACHER GAOLED

SENTENCED TO TWELVE MONTHS FACED FALSE PRETENCES CHARGE LONG LIST OF CONVICTIONS PLEADING guilty to four charges of obtaining board and goods by false pretences, Charles Edward Bradman, alias Jackson, a school teacher, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Police Court today.

Bradman, aged 35, was charged with obtaining goods to the value of £3O on July 10 at Whangarei, by falsely representing that he had an account with the Commercial Bank at Christchurch and with obtaining goods valued at £l3 5s 4d at Auckland on June 13 by falsely representing that he was a son of Dr, Butt, of Auckland, unci had purchased the Masonic Hotel lit Cambridge. He was charged further with obtaining £l4 10s at Auckland by false pretences on June 25 and with obtaining board to the value of £lo’ at Cambridge on June 14, by the same means. Through Mr. Glesel accused pleaded guilty to the four charges. HAS FAMILY ‘Last June Bradman, who is a married man with four children, went to the Masonic Hotel at Cambridge and represented that he was the son of an Auckland doctor,” said ChiefDetective Hammond. ‘‘He obtained board amounting to £lO and then disappeared.” On June 13 he told the same story to the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company at Cambridge and obtained goods valued at £l3 5s 4d. Later, he had taken his wife and family to an Auckland hotel and obtained board by the same means. "He then went up to Whangarei,” said Mr. Hammond. ‘‘He started a pork-butcher’s business there and obtained goods to the value of £3O by false pretences. In Whangarei ho actually ran up debts totalling £!!0 before he closed up business and disappeared. He was arrested here while on his way South. He has been before the Court before and been severely dealt with, lengthy terms being imposed.” Mr. Giesel, for accused, said it was pnite true he had been before the Court before, but the real reason for the present trouble was Bradman’s desire to provide for his wife and family. “That’s why he takes them to stay et good hotels, I suppose?” said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Counsel said Bradman could not get a house. His two children were a year and two and a-halt years old. He had tried to get work of any description hut was unsuccessful.

FAILED IN BUSINESS "Through lack of capital he failed !u business at Whangarei,” said Mr.

Giesel. “The most serious part of his trouble is the fact of his previoxis convictions. He started in a small way by overdrawing his bank account and lost his 30b as a school teacher. He is a 8.A., and a certificated teacher. He was forced to make a living by playing a violin in a picture orchestra in Christchurch, but the advent of the talkies took that livelihood from him and he has been doing only casual work since.”

Accused had once obtained a position as a tutor, but his prospective em ployer had heard about his misdemeao ours and cancelled the appointment The situation was difficult for his wife and children, but counsel asked that Mr. Hunt impose a short sentence of hard labour.

"He has been convicted of 11 simi lar offences,” said the magistrate "Every year since he was first con victed he has been up again. His is a serious case. He can’t go around doing this sort of thing.” On each of the first two charges, Bradman was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, the terms to be cumu lative. He was convicted and dis charged on the other counts. Pro perty to the value of £3O recovered from his shop at Whangarei was ordered to be returned.