SMUGGLERS CAUGHT

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 133, 2 December 1936, Page 19

SMUGGLERS CAUGHT

SPIRIT FROM FRANCE

CHANNEL ADVENTURES

A remarkable story of alleged smuggling of spirits across the Channel from the French coast was told at the Mansion House Justice Room by Mr. B. M. Stephenson, of the Solicitors' Department, Commissioners of Customs and Excise, in opening a prosecution against four men, says "The Times." , The defendants were Eric Gohrt, or 42 Thames Street, Walton-bn-Tham.es; Percy Vernon Knight, of Suffolkstpw, Rydens Road, Walton-on-Thames; James William' Sizeland Coe, of High Street, Walton-on-Thames; and Reginald George Alired Leaf, who gave an address "care of Mrs. Burge," at New Cottages, West Thorney, Emsworth, With the exception of the defendant Leaf, -all were charged with being concerned in fraudulent attempts at the evasion of Customs duties on cases of spirits, and with the fraudulent removal of uncustomed goods. Knight was further charged with "harbouring uncustomed goods. Against Leaf was one charge only—that of being concerned in a fraudulent attempt at the eva- : sion of the duties of Customs of ■ 20----cases' of spirits. v^a Gohrt, who was undefended, pleaded "Guilty" to all the charges. ■ ■ _ Mr G W. Heard, solicitor, appearing for Knight, said his'client would also plead "Guilty," but he desired to put him into the box before the case was disposed of. Mr. Laurence Vine, counsel for Coe and Leaf, entered pleas of "Not Guilty' on their behalf. Mr. Stephenson asked that the cases of Gohrt and Knight might be dealt with first, as that would give him the opportunity, if he desired, of calling them-as witnesses against Coe. 'Mr. Vine objected to the separation of the cases, but the Alderman acceded to Mr. Stephenson's application. The defendents Coe and Leaf were then directed; to stand aside. A TALE OF ADVENTURE. Proceeding to'open the case against the other two defendants, Mr. Stephenson said that there were four charges against Gohrt and five against Knight. The prosecution arose out of two spiritrunning voyages; the first of a vessel named Ours, which landed a cargo at Burnham-on-Crouch on August 15, 1936, and the second, a trip of Apache IV, which landed at Thorney Creek, near Chichester, on September 4. Gohrt, he added, was a man without fixed occupation, while Knight was the manager of a clothier's shop, which was run at Walton-on-Thames in the name of Knight's Clothiers, Limited. The story, began in Whit week in--1936. Gohrt went into Knight's shop, there was a conversation on the slackness of trade, and Gohrt put up the suggestion of buying cheap whisky at Leeds and selling it at a good profit. As a result Knight gave Gohrt £6 to enable him to go to Leeds to make the arrangements. In the end 4J cases of whisky were acquired, and so far as the Customs authorities knew, the duty on those was paid. But Knight was £70 out of pocket, and this embarrassed him, and after another similar transaction, the decision seemed to have been arrived at that in order to" get "their" money- back they would have to resort to smuggling whisky. In August Knight^ chartered the motor-yacht • Ours,, which had a sail and an auxiliary engine, from a Mr. Douglas. It"was only fair,t<3" say, that Mr. Douglas knew nothing of the proposed venture. Neither Coe nor Lea£ was concerned in this run. The Ours left Richmond with Knight and Gohrt on board on August' 8, 1936. There were also on board a Mr. Barlow, called "captain," though he did not hold a certificate, and Knight's son. They proceeded first of all to Dover, and then decided to go to Calais, arriving there on the afternoon ■ of: the 9th. At 2 o'clock on the following morning they bought from a ship's chandler in Calais 15 cases of whisky (12 bottles to the case) out of bond for 230f. (about £3) a case. These cases were taken on board under supervision of the French Customs, and the men stayed in Calais till the 13th. The cases were broken up and concealed in the water tanks under the bilge. DRIFTING IN CHANNEL. The return voyage was begun at 7.30 on the morning of August 13. The engine was not running too well, the sea was rough, and at about 8 p.m. the engine gave out, and they drifted about in the Channel till the following afternoon. They were seen by a fisherman named Cripps, who went alongside in response to.their signals and agreed to tow them into Burnham-on-Crouch for a fee of £4. The whisky was removed, and subsequently loaded on to a car, which Gohrt hired at Southend, and was conveyed to London, through the city, and finally to Petersfield, where it was sold, to a local publi'.an for £70 10s. It had cost £415 in-Calais. -When Gohrt was subsequently interviewed by Customs officers, in the course of a long statement he said.— "After this voyage repairs were effected to the motor-yacht Ours. Mr. Knight and I rejoined the vessel, and our intention'at the time was to cruise round the South Coast, but when we were about three miles off Ramsgate the paraffin lines to the motor became choked to such an extent that further progress was out of the question. We attempted to: float in on the tide to Ramsgate Harbour, but were unsuccessful, owing to a strong, adverse wind. "At about 1.30 p.m. the sea began to be rough, so we decided to fire distress rockets. We continued to do this and to fly international distress flags until 7.30 p.m., when the collier Dalewood came to our assistance." _ After this, "proceeded Mr. Stephenson, the Apache IV was chartered in the name1 of Gohrt to get 20 cases of whisky 'from Calais. Coe accompanied the" vessel to Dover, where he landed, and Barlow, who had been engaged'for the purpose, took the boat to Calais. There Knight was waiting, and the loading was carried out under his supervision. They then set off, on September 2, for England. ATTACK OF SUNSTROKE. After, some little time Knight was taken very badly ill with sunstroke, and Barlow decided to pilot the boat to Thorney Creek. But he had no charts, his compass was in a bad condition, and eventually he ran into Sayling Island. Barlow grounded the tioat on the sand. Knight was carried into the hospital at the Treloar's Home for Crippled Children. Leaf came ashore in a dinghy with the spirit, Gohrt took it and placed it in a car belonging to Coe, and eventually, about September 8 or 9, it reached Petersfield and was sold at the same public-house as the other cargo was. On September 22 an investigation into these matters was begun. Gohrt was arrested, and at Walton police station, where he was taken in the first instance, he made a lengthy statement. Knight, in the witness-box, said that he thought he was financing a genuine business venture to buy whisky from Leeds. As the result of the venture he had lost his business and was over £70 out of pocket and was now working for £3 a week. In fact, he considered that he was a victim of the confidence trick.

Gohrt -declared, that -there was na1

question of "confidence trick" at all, but that the smuggling was done in a spirit of adventure. Alderman Sir W. Phene Neal: I have listened to the evidence with a great deal of attention, and I regard this as a serious offence. I must pass sentence of three months' imprisonment with hard labour upon Gohrt, and in view of the fact that it is Knight's first offence, the sentence upon him will also, be three months, but in the second division. . ~-.,,■ Mr. Stephenson then proceeded with the case against Leaf and Coe, and the further hearing of the summonses against these defendants was adjourned.