Acquittal on rugby club theft charge

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 16

Acquittal on rugby club theft charge

A former bar manager for the Belfast Rugby Football Club was yesterday found not guilty by a jury in the District Court on a charge relating to the theft of bar takings last year. The prosecution had been brought after club officers had devised a scheme of recording numbers of larger-denomina-tion banknotes before the takings were banked. One club official involved in this was also a detective in the police. After the jury’s verdict, reached after retirement of three hours, Judge Sheehan discharged the defendant, Mervyn George Thomas, aged 44. He had been charged with theft as a servant of $240 of club money while employed as its bar mana-

ger last September 4. Miss E. H. B. Thompson appeared for Thomas, who pleaded not guilty. Mr C. A. McVeigh prosecuted. The trial lasted a day and a half. Crown evidence was that club officials had set a trap involving recording the serial numbers of higher denomination banknotes, after becoming suspicious that bar takings were not being banked. Two lists of notes were made, and it was alleged that banknotes totalling $240 had not been produced at the bank, which had agreed to hold the club’s bankings. No defence evidence was called but Miss Thompson submitted in

her address to jurors that the evidence was not sufficient to disclose any shortfall in takings or that Thomas was guilty of theft, if a shortfall were 2 established. Miss Thomp- - son said evidence showed that no fewer than eight persons had access to the ;; bar area, and where the -i safe was kept. 2 The officials’ trap had 2 been inept, she said. * A detective who was 4 also a club officer and * involved in the trap to 3 find where money al- < legedly went missing had 3 been in the situation of a not knowing whether he 2 was the accuser or pro- « secutor. He had had. to 2 wear two hats at the same , Si time. 2