PERJURY PLOT

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1933, Page 12

PERJURY PLOT

TO AVOID PAYMENT OF FINE. LONDON, June 29. Three young men pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey yesterday to committing perjury—Theodosius Boughton Leigh, 21, of Wynstay Hall, Burgess Hill, Sussex, to perjury while on trial at London Sessions, and William Jack Sansum, 23, a steward, and Richard Kilby, 19, a salesman, to perjury while giving evidence at Leigh’s trial. Mr Eustace Fulton, prosecuting, said Leigh was summoned at Croydon in October for dangerous driving in July, and was committed for trial at the London Sessions. There he raised the defence that he was not the driver of the car, bu.t that Sansum was. Kilby, who was a passenger, and Sansum told a similar story.

Tho jury disagreed, said counsel, and a retrial was ordered. At the second trial Leigh again swore that he. was not the driver, and Sansum also- gave evidence, hut Kilhy did not appear.

Mr Fulton said inquiries showed that Sansum had been a steward on a yacht in Devonshire throughout July, and had not left the yacht. The trial was adjourned, and next day Leigh did hot appear. All three men were arrested later.

Sir Henry Curtis Bennett, K.C., fending Leigh, said if he had been dealt with at Croydon he would probably have been fined a few pounds. Instead of taking the proper course he and tho two other men put - up a stupid defence. “After the second I rial." Sir Henry continued, “this young man spent a most wretched existence hiding from the police and his parents. For the last twelve weeks ho has been in custody. He was .sentenced for the dangerous driving to twenty-one days’ imprisonment, his license was suspended for two years, and' Im had io pay costs amounting to L'27l out of money he received when he came of age.”

Sir Gordon Craig said he was prepared' to take Leigh back into his former employment in film production. Air Derek Curtis Bonnett, for Sansum, said ho hoard of tho warrant for his arrest, while in a ship in Ceylon, and came straight back to England.

Sentencing Leigh to eighteen months in the second division. Mr Justice Humphreys said: “1 am. told yen have had n public school education. In my opinion that is delinitelj’ against you. It is one of the most abominable cases of perjury that has come to my notice.”

Sansum was sentenced' to eight months in the second division, and Kilby to four months’ imprisonment.