NINETEEN CHARGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 December 1938, Page 2

NINETEEN CHARGES

FALSE PRETENCES AND FAILURE TO ACCOUNT. EIGHTEEN MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N„ December 19. John Anthony Crawford, labourer, aged 50, who pleaded guilty to 19 charges involving false pretences and failing to account, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment by Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrates' Court. Palmerston North today. The offences were committed in Auckland. Wellington, Levin, and Palmerston North. Detective-Sergeant A. B. Meiklejohn, who prosecuted, said that seven of the false pretences charges originated in Wellington, two in Auckland, two in Levin, and two in Palmerston North, and six charges of failure to account also originated in Palmerston North. It appeared that Crawford began the series of offences in Auckland last July by telling complainants that he would arrange for advertisements to be put on the back of passes issued by the Regent Theatre. Offences ih Wellington and Levin were of a similar character, and when Crawford came to Palmerston North he sought work. He was engaged to canvass for advertisement, his commission being 25 per cent of the amount charged. •“He obtained £6, but failed to account for any of it,” said the detectivesergeant. “I arrested him on December 10 when he was drinking a pint of beer in a hotel. He had 8s 9d in his pockets and said that he had no other possessions. He was very frank about the offences, and said he would plead guilty. He has a long list of previous convictions, and has been an habitual offender on such charges since 1926. He has been convicted for 70 offences.” The magistrate said that these cases were even worse than those he dealt with last week ih Masterton. Here it was straightout fraud, he said, and accused could have no excuse to offer. “I could have sentenced you to about four and a half years on these charges,” the magistrate said to accused after he imposed tlie penalty. _