CUSTOMS CASES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14903, 17 February 1914, Page 2

CUSTOMS CASES.

OFFENDERS SENTENCED,

The eight men who at- the present sessions of the Supreme Court pleaded guilty to a number of charges of theft from tho Customs Department, came before his Honour Mr Justice Denniston at the Supremo Court yesterday morning for sentence. THE SENTEXCES. His Honour imposed the following sentences: — Samuel John McC'ormick, three years. John Hill, three years. Ernest Walter Wood, two years. Hugh Lawton Owen, 18 months. James Anderson Campbell. 18 months. Francis Geoffrey Leigh. 18 months. Christopher Robert Smith, one year. George Clifford Francis, to come up for _enton.ee when-called upon. After pronouncing the sentences, his Honour said that representations would ho made to the authorities, with the view of having Wood, Campbell, Owen, Leigh, and Smith placed in plantation camps, thus protecting them from gaol associations. HIS HOXOPR'S REMARKS. The eight men were accommodated, four in the dock and four in front of it.

His Honour, addressing all of tho nieu. said that they had pleaded guilty to a series of deliberate frauds against tho Customs, and. also, in the event of many cases, against their employers. There only remained for him the painful duty of pronouncing the sentence of the law. In addition to the charges to which they bad pleaded guilty, they had also practically admitted that they had committed other frauds at the same lime. These had extended over several years. The practice of destroying the .records after a period of three years made it impossible to procure evidence in respect to these frauds. The system under which the frauds wero possible had been in existence for many years, and 111 some cases, at all events, some of them must have beon engaged for a considerable period in defrauding tho Customs. The amount actually lost by the Customs—the nmonnt which had beon traced—was £9000. That amount was, or course, distributed amongst them. He did not wish to make any one of them a scapegoat, but. it was necessary that substantial piiiiislimeiifc should "be given. His Honour added that, with the assistance of the Crown officers, he had taken into account extenuating circumstances, whore they existed, so as to discriminate as to the dogroo of individual culpability. "A RINGLEADER."

Addressing McConnick, his Honour said that he had been Customs Houso cleric for tbe Express Company for a number of years and transactions had been traced to him, in conjunction with Smith, amounting to £4-673. Addressing Hill, his Honour said that ho could not help thinking that during tho long period He was in the Customs Department.—a. period of seventeen years —his frauds must have gone beyond the three years. Hill was responsible for £2.300 during the last three years. It was clear that the system was in full vigour during the past three years, and must have existed prior to that. Hill was tho owner of real property of considerable value, as to the sourco of which he had made no attempt to account. His Honour, concluding, said: "You must be looked upon as one of tho ringleaders."' Sentence of threo years' imprisonment was imposed on McCormick and Hill. THE CASE OF WOOD.

Addressing Wood, his Honour _aid that ho had beon connected with the frauds for three years, and M-as responsible for £2400; how much more prior to tho three years, could, only. _be conjectured. He had obtained this large sum by fraud and had apparently spent it in .self-indulgence. A sentence of two years' imprisonment was imposed. CAMPBELL, OWEN, AXl> LEIGH.

Addressing Campbell_. his - Honour said that ho had n long and good previous record in tho Customs until he took to drink, after which, ho was reduced. Campbell was responsible for allowing very largo sums'of money to bo fraudulently misappropriated. According to the authorities,, they were of opinion that Campbell received very little of the amount, and it appeared that he had no share in tho system, though, unfortunately, ho appeared to have got into tho middle of it. As to Owen and Leigh, they had appropriated substantial sums of money by a largo number of fraudulent operations. Campbell, Owen and Leigh'were each sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. *■

SMITH'S CASE. Addressing Smith, his Honour said that lie nau largely co-opera ted witn -l.Cormi.l-, aim as no was -UcUormick's -.uu-t-iuat-, and there wa_ reason to believe 'that __uith got unuor • McCorinieK's influence, ana as -its Honour was informed that thero was reason to believe tliat Smith received only a small share of tho proceeds ot tho frauds, he would deal with him comparatively leniently. In addition to these facts, his Honour added that he had tai_en into consideration also Smith's youth. He was sentenced to twelve montns' imprisonment. ANOTHER CHANCE.

Addressing Francis, his Honour said that no had misappropriated under i2_o. It was stateu by tlie liar and accepted by the Crown, that _vranc_was in receipt of a small salary, and was practically the head of a large family of small children and a widowed mother, who were practically supported by Francis. It was alleged that it was under the pressure of his mother's painful ana fatal illness that Francis had taken advantage of a system that appeared to havo been in the air. it was also in Francis's favour that he did not persist in the frauds any length or timo. Jf Francis had como alone before his Honour, in the special circumstances, his Honour would have-sus-pended sentence during Francis's good behaviour. Tho fact that Francis appeared" with others, however, was not, his Honour thought, a reason for dealing with Km otherwise. Francis was ordereu~to como up lor sentence when called upon, but was informed that he was liable to be proceeded against civilly for the moneys appropriated.