PREYING ON PUBLIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 June 1939, Page 8

PREYING ON PUBLIC

“FALSE PRETENCES ARTIST” • SENT TO GAOL. EIGHTEEN MONTHS' HARD LABOUR. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. Thi« Day. Described by Detective-Sergeant Sinclair as “simply and purely a false pretences artist, with a very plauslole and confident manner,” Robert Thomas Roberts, farm labourer, aged 59, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 18 months’ gaol with hard labour by Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., today. Eight charges cf the false presentation cf cheques to a total amount of £54, drawn on various . city banks, were admitted by Roberts, and on each of three charges he was sentenced to six months’ gaol, with' hard labour, the sentences to be. cumulative. Detective-Sergeant Sinclair said Roberts had obtained goods valued at £lO 16s 2d, and money amounting to £43 3s lOd. Goods could not be returned to their owners and the accushad no money when arrested. “Since 1917, Roberts has had 54 charges of false pretences preferred against him, and he has served gaol sentences totalling 121 years, as well as a period of reformative detention,” the detective sergeant stated. “He is simply and purely a false pretences artist, was a very plausible and confident manner.” "One thing I can do is to stop you preying on the public,” said the' magistrate in passing sentence. On the remaining live charges, Heberts was convicted and discharged.