CHANGE ARTIST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 10

CHANGE ARTIST.

POSED AS NINE MEN.

"FRAUDULENT SCOUNDREL"

SICK SOCIETIES DEFRAUDED. The dock officer at Birmingham Assizes, at Mr. Justice Humphrey's direction, shouted in a deaf man's ear, "The judge says you are a fraudulent old scoundrel." The judge then sentenced the man, Thomas Griffiths, aged 54, described as a carpenter, of Pyle, Glamorganshire, to three years' penal servitude for obtaining money from friendly societies by fraud. David Wilmott, aged 38, a confectioner, of Pyle, who was charged with him, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. Sir Reginald Coventry, prosecuting, said that the case disclosed a deliberate fraud in order to obtain money from a large number of friendly societies, Griffiths had. for years been obtaining sick benefit," and . Wilmott, who had never been out of work, had also obtained sick 'benefit; The investigates ;coyered onljr the last two years and with fifteen friendly societies, buil:the prosecution had reason to believe that no fewer than' eighty friendly societies were either defrauded or efforts, made to defraud them. ■ . .

The system was simple, and was, no doubt, originated by Griffiths.

"Griffiths paid contributions for a. few months," said Sir Reginald, "and then fell ill, arid on a doctor's certificate obtained sick benefit. He found it was easy, so he extended liis operations. "He belonged to a great number of. societies, and used the names of people who had disappeared, after obtaining their birth certificates from Somerset House."

Sir Reginald added that Wilmott, who was extremely clever in postures, visited nine doctors in two years, and had 122 different certificates in the names of Griffiths, IJoyd, Miller and Taylor. He hoodwinked the doctors on various occasions, and simulated diseases which it was difficult to diagnose. One doetor gave him nine certificates in four months, and did not know that he was the same man. When Griffiths was arrested there was found a notebook in which were the names of ninety-eight societies. There were also found twenty-four membership cards. . They knew that from fifteen societies in the bust two years Griffiths had obtained £741, but that was a small fraction*