U.K. judge on smuggling charge

Press, 30 September 1983, Page 5

U.K. judge on smuggling charge

NZPA staff correspondent London An Old Bailey judge and former member of Parliament who will appear in court charged with smuggling was born and educated in New Zealand, where he was also called to the Bar. Judge Kfeith Bruce Campbell faces a charge of trying to evade paying duty on goods, including 125 litres of whisky and 10,000 cigarettes, and is due before the Magistrate’s Court at Ramsgate, Kent, on October 20. A boat which he jointly owns with a south London car dealer was raided by Customs and Excise last month.

The 8m motor cruiser Papyrus was impounded and searched in a dramatic early-hours move by customs agents on August 21. Judge Campbell was called to the New Zealand Bar and the English Bar by the Inner Temple in 1947. He was Master of the Bench, Inner Temple, in 1970 and recorder of the Crown Court from 1972 to 1976.

He attended Christchurch Technical High School (now Christchurch Polytechnic) and studied law at Canterbuiy University College. He is believed to have been friends with the other owner of the boat, Alan Raphael Foreman, aged 50, for some years. If Judge Campbell and Mr Foreman plead guilty or are found guilty by the magistrates they face maximum penalties of six months in jail or fines of several thousand pounds, or both. Heavier sentences could be passed if the case ended in Crown Court convictions.

The Judge, who was Conservative member of Parliament for Oldham West until 1970, lives in London’s exclusive King’s Bench Walk. He is married, with six children.

Having served on the General Council of the Bar for 11 years in the 1960 s and 19705, Judge Campbell is also a former member of the Senate of Inns of the Courts.

During an extended Army career in World War 11, he served in France, Belgium, North Africa, and Italy, and was evacuated from Dunkirk.

He will not conduct any further trial until his own case has been settled.

The story of the judge’s

troubles was first reported about a fortnight ago by the London “Sunday Times.” The newspaper quoted the Judge as saying; “I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong. Now I suppose I am finished.”

Mr Foreman was quoted as saying, “Those customs are stupid. None of us done anything wrong.” The newspaper reported that Mr Foreman is a London motor dealer with a criminal past. The duty and V.A.T. (value added tax) on the 10 cases of whisky and 10,000 cigarettes seized from the boat would have been about £lOOO. The Judge was quoted by the newspaper as saying he had bought the whisky and cigarettes in Guernsey.

“I didn’t know it was against the law to bring them in,” he said.

“Guernsey is a funny place. It is in the United Kingdom but there is no V.A.T. and things like this in the High Street are very cheap. I didn’t see anything wrong with bringing it in.” Mr Foreman said, “We had a few bottles over the entitlement. Nothing wrong about that.”

And the cigarettes? "I never count fags.” The “Sunday Times” said that the boat had been under surveillance for at least six days while it cruised in the English Channel and round Guernsey.

A customs spokesman said that anything bought in Guernsey and imported to the mainland was liable for British duty and V.A.T. “This is spelled out all over the harbours in the Channel Islands, in the ferries, on customs forms issued to all mariners, and even in leaflets in the offlicences in the islands,” he said.

Judge Campbell’s friendship with Mr Foreman goes back at least four years. The Judge agreed that it was an unusual one.

“Alan and I are very different,” he told the “Sunday Times.” “We could not be more dissimilar in both personality and background. He started on a stall in the East End, now he is a motor dealer. Believe me, if you share a tiny cabin at sea with a fellow you soon know what he is all about. Alan’s okay.” The Judge said he found it all difficult to believe that Mr Foreman had once been in trouble with the law.