MYTHICAL WIFE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20728, 11 February 1939, Page 10

MYTHICAL WIFE

WIDOWER’S FRAUDS £268 SUSTENANCE OBTAINED (Special to Times) AUCKLAND. Saturday Eight charges involving excess sustenance amounting to £268 4s 5d were preferred in the Police Court yesterday against Joseph Farrell (58/, widower. Accused admitted six charges of making false statements Lo obtain sustenance, Mr F. H. Levien, S.M., describing it as the worst case of deliberate misrepresentation to obtain sustenance of which he had heard. In August, 1938, accused made a statement to the police that since he first registered as unemployed he had deliberately misled the officers of the Labour Bureau as to his true position, said Mr Black. "My wife died in 1918, without having children, and 1 did not remarry," accused continued. "I now frankly admit that 1 have repeatedly supplied wrong information and told numerous lies over a period of years, in trying to justify the existence of an alleged wife and child. My sole reason for doing so was to get increased benefits from the department." Sentencing accused to a month’s imprisonment, the magistrate said be did not consider that a fine, in addition to imprisonment, would serve any good purpose.