GODDARD GUILTY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1929, Page 11

GODDARD GUILTY

A CORRUPT CONSTABLE

SENTENCED AND FINED

THE NIGHT CLUB CASE

United • Press Association—By Electric Tele--graph—Copyright. (Eeceived 30th January, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 29th January. At the conclusion of the case against ox-Station Sergeant Goddard, of the Metropolitan Police, and Mrs. Meyi-ick, and an Italian named Bibuffi on charges of. corruption in connection with London night clubs, Mr. Justice Avory, in summing up for over two hours, said that it was useless to parade Goddard 'a record in the Force, when the prisoner had to admit that for years ho had systematically amassed money by a breach of the regulations, that he had monetary transactions with keepers of disorderly houses, and betted with street bookmakers, whom it was his duty to , arrest. Goddard was admittedly in I possession of bank notes, numbered successively^ which came from the accounts jof Mrs. Meyrick, Bibuffi, and Anna Gadda. It was a crucial question whether the notes came into his possession by chance.

The Judge pointed out that Goddard rented different safe-deposits in 1923 and 1925, and moved the bulk of the notes to a new depository under a false name in 1928.

Dealing with Goddard's answer to the charges, the Judge said that, according to his statement, everything he touched turned to gold.

If he backed a horse it almost always won. If he only invested money in sweotstuffs to be sold at Wembley, if he dealt in foreign currency, and when he dealt in copyright songs, ho always made thousands. No doubt the jnry would, think these stories a gross exaggeration. His story of tho characters of Meyrick and Bibufli was not such as to make it improbable they would commit the offence of bribery. The jury after 165 minutes' absence, found all the accused guilty, Goddard was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour on each of four counts, the terms to be concurrent, fined £2000, and ordered to pay the costs of prosecution, estimated at £2000. Mrs. Meyrick and Eibuffi were each sentenced to fifteen months' imprisonment with hard labour. His Honour, in addressing Goddard, said: —"You have wrecked what might have been a noble career in the Bolice for the sake of filthy lucre. You hoped to live in luxury on unlawfully amassed money which, would not have brought you a moment's peace. You ought to have written in your pockctbook—

"Turn from glittering gold thy scornful eye, "Nor sell for gold what gold can never bu^-."