Insurance fraud case: four to stand trial

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 6

Insurance fraud case: four to stand trial

PA Palmerston North

Four persons accused of a $165,750 racehorse insurance fraud have been committed for trial in the High Court at Palmerston North in February. At the end of a two-day depositions hearing, Justices of the Peace, Mr H. Robert and Mrs M. Parkes, found that there was a case to answer on the 23 charges brought before them. The charges relate to the death of seven racehorses and insurance claims totalling $165,750. In each instance, the horses were destroyed after compound fractures to cannon bones.

The accused pleaded not guilty on all counts. Jointly charged with aggravated cruelty to a

mare, Royal Tidings, are a Woodville studmaster, Lewis Peter Corrigan, aged 37; his wife, Maureen Anne Corrigan, aged 39; Reginald William King, aged 31, a self-employed jockey, of Woodville; and Lesley James Judd, aged 30, a farm manager, of Bulls.

All four are also jointly charged with conspiring to defraud Wayne Wilkinson Insurance of $90,000 for the five-year-old Royal Tidings, and separately with intent to defraud using a letter signed by Judd and a veterinary certificate. Separate charges of obtaining $40,000 by false pretence from R. H. Andrewes, Ltd, for a twoyear old filly, Canio, are also faced by the four. The Corrigans are also

jointly charged with obtaining $12,000 for a racehorse, Craiglee, from R. H. Andrewes, Ltd, and $7500 from South British Insurance for a colt by Tod Craig from Softly Softly. Lewis Corrigan is also charged with obtaining $5OOO by false pretence from Wrightson Bloodstock, for an unnamed colt by Tod Craig from Botagro; $5250 from the same company for a Shifnal colt out of Highland Reel; and $6OOO from General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Company for an unnamed filly by Holy Smoke II out of Melita May. Judd also faces a further charge of illegal possession of a firearm.

AU charges will be heard on February 10.