MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17972, 18 March 1930, Page 8

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

VALUELESS CHEQUES

LARGE SUM INVOLVED. OTHER CHARGES PENDING. Charged with ‘ false pretences by issuing valueless cheques at Hamilton, Tauranga and Matamata, to the value of £45, John Ryan, aged GO years, with several aliases, appeared before Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., in the Hamilton Magistrate's Court this morning, and pleaded guilty to Hie three charges set out in the information, A further seven charges bringing the total amount involved up to £233 Is were pending at Auckland, and because of these, His Worship decided lo convict accused and order him lo come up for sentence if called upon, leaving it for the magistrate in Auckland to inflict, an adequate penalty when the full facts were placed before him. Detective Sergeant Thompson told His Worship that accused called on the Bank of New Zealand at Auckland on February it), and falsely represented to the manager that his name was James Hamilton and that he had a bank account at Paeroa. He was given cheques on this representation and received six bank counter cheque forms. The same day lie called on the Farmers’ Trading Company, Auckland, and falsely represented that he had an account at the Bank of New Zealand, Paeroa, and lie was a farmer there, lie wished to open an account with them. Accused made out a counter cheque for £IOO. This story was foolishly accepted by the accountant, who allowed accused to operate on Ihe account immediately and before the cheques could he cleared at Paema. Accused obtained goods to date to the value of £SO from the Farmers' Trading Company. On Ihe following day he called on the same accountant and presented another cheque for £IOO and received a deposit slip showing that he had a credit for £2OO with them. He also cashed another cheque and he was then in possession of a Farmers’ Trading Company cheque hook. He came to Hamilton on February 22 and presented one of the cheques for £2O to the manager of the Farmers’ Trading Company, Hamilton. The manager of the Hamilton Branch was more cautious, however, and he made inquiries of the Auckland office who informed him that the cheque was in order. The Hamilton branch subsequently cashed the cheque for £2O. Two days after accused went to Tauranga and cashed a cheque there in similar fashion. Matamata was then visited and the process repeated. Accused came, back to Hamilton and opened an account, in.a bank by depositing £ls. He was given a cheque-book and with this he visited Auckland and cashed seven valueless cheques there. Altogether he had obtained goods and money to the value of £233.