FALSE PRETENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1938, Page 8

FALSE PRETENCES

OLD OFFENDER SENT

TO GAOL. SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED. Two charges of false pretences were preferred in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning against John Anthony Crawford, of having obtained lOr from Harry Lethaby by falsely representing that pass-out checks bearing certain advertising matter would be issued and used at the Regent Theatre and similarly having obtained a sum of £1 from Gladys Johanna Millward.

The accused pleaded guilty to both charges. Senior-Sergeant G. A. Doggett said that on the morning of October 15 the accused, under the name of Ward, called on Mr Palamontain and showed him a sample of a Regent Theatre pass-out check and inquired the price for printing a supply bearing business advertisements. He was given a quotation and the following morning saw Mr McCallum, manager of the Regent Theatre and asked him if he would accept the checks if he got them printed. Mr McCallum more or less consented to the proposal. Accused then canvassed the town and obtained £1 from Mrs Millward and 10s from Mr Lethaby. In Mr Lethaby's case accused said the passes would be printed within a week but he had made no effort since to do so. The Senior-Ser-geant said it was an old practice of accused, who was already on remand to Palmerston North for a similar charge. Asked if ho had anything to say, the accused said he had started out with the scheme in good faith. Drink, he said, seemed to make him lose his moral fibre. Observing that the accused had over fifty convictions on charges of this sort against him, the Magistrate, Mr H. P. Lawry. sentenced the accused to three months' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be cumula- : ive.