"WITHOUT MORALS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 282, 27 November 1937, Page 16

"WITHOUT MORALS"

BANKRUPT WOMAN.

PRETENDED TO BE WEALTHY. CAR DRIVER VICTIMISED. (Special.— Hy Air Mall.) LONDON, November 5. A woman who posed as a person of wealth after she had been adjudicated bankrupt was sentenced at Middlesex Sessions to 15 months' hard labour. She was Muriel Martin, aged 30, of Harrow, who pleaded guilty to obtaining credit without disclosing that she was an undischarged bankrupt. "Viih are a woman of no morals whatever," said the chairman, Sir Reginald Coventry, K.C. Mr. Pollock, prosecuting, said she was known by a variety of names chosen for their picturcsqucncss rather than for their accuracy. The charges were in connection with work done for her by a builder and for the hire of cars.

"When the police called on her," said Mr. Pollock, "she denied that she was an Undischarged bankrupt.

''When the officer said lie wished to examine an attache ciue she called out 'Lv>e,' and a Chiuese s >rvant appeared, and she told him to do away with the contents of the case, which related to her bankruptcy."

#f. Previous Convictions. Detective Sergeant Ire-dale said she had four previous convictions. She had described herself as a film actress and the wife of an army officer.

She took the lease of a shop in North Atldley Street. May fair, at an annual rental of £.N2.">. and had alterations carried out and stock put in. She gave worthless cheques in payment.

"Obviously this Chinese servant has been trained to answer tue door to all callers, to whom he pretends that he cannot speak English," said the officer.

She told the driver of one of the cars she hired that she had £20.000 in the hank and wanted to buy a l'olls-Royce. She offered the driver employment with her. The man left his job and as a

result was out of work for six months. On another occasion she hired a woman companion, paid her no wages ami borrowed money from her. When she was ill she went to University College Hospital and had a private ward with flowers, telephone and wireless set, none of which was paid for.