PETROL FRAUD.
GAOL FOR INVENTOR.
"MAKINGS OF A CRIMINAL."
COMMENT BY JUDGE.
"DELIBERATELY SWINDLED."
The young Auckland chemist-*' assistant, Gordon Douglas Crawford, who had been found guilty by a jury of falsely representing that he had discovered a method of making synthetic, benzine, was sent to gaol for twelve months when ho appeared for sentence before Mr. Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court to-day.
Crawford's temperament and disposition were described by Mr. E. A. Singer as indicating an unusual mentality. The prisoner had always been in tlio habit of "dabbling in experiments of all kinds."
His Honor, in passing sentence, said the case was an extraordinary one. The prisoner had shown a certain amount of ingenuity and cleverness, and it seemed that he had all the makings of a criminal if this experience did not operate as a lesson to him. Undoubtedly he deliberately swindled men who were induced to put money into a company to develop his scheme. His Honor coneluded: "I hope, when you have sej-ved your you will endeavour to behave as a respectable member of the community."
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19310213.2.91
Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 37, 13 February 1931, Page 7
Word Count
181PETROL FRAUD. Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 37, 13 February 1931, Page 7
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Auckland Star. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries.