CHRISTCHURCH CASES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 22, 22 December 1932, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH CASES.

ACCUSED PLEAD GUILTY. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Doc. 22. In the ease in which Clarence Alfred Palmer and Walter Vernon Wiseman were charged with the theft of nearly £11,500, tho property of an insurance company by which they were employed, the police said that the system the men worked on was that when the monthly returns were made Palmer deducted the amount of the defalcations from the total and entered the resulting figure. They kept a careful cheek on their thefts. In 1924 they began with £3 19s and rose to £2554 in 1931 and £1907 in 1932 till October 31. Tho total sum involved as shown by the audit was £11,431. Accused admitted stealing tho money. Herbert Thomas Francis, manager of the Christchurch branch of the firm, gave evidence that for some time past the premium income had fallen away. Until October last be had no idea of the reason. At that time ho gave notice to clients whose premiums were shown as overdue. Usually these notices went from Wiseman, but in October some went out without passing through his hands. One of tho clients wrote in and inquiries were then made, and accused admitted the thefts. The money had been spent in paying instalments on houses, buying motor ears and furniture and in living expenses. Accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, ba.il being allowed.

An earlier message relating to,the above appears on page 4.