FABRICATING EVIDENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 February 1934, Page 7

FABRICATING EVIDENCE

INQUIRY AGENT CONVICTED PERJURY AND THREATS [FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION’.] CHRISTCHURCH, February 9. Guilty on all counts, with the exception of one, withdrawn by the Crown, was the verdict of the jury at the close of the case against,, John Black Batchelor, private enquiry agent, which occupied the attention of the Supreme Court for two days, and which was not concluded until after 10 o’clock this evening. \, The charges on which Batchelor was found guilty were: Attempting to prevent the course of justice (two counts); fabricating evidence with the intention of misleading the course of justice; making a statement on oath amounting to perjury; and attempting to dissuade by threats a person from giving evidence. The charge withdrawn by the Crown was one of attempting to dissuade by a bribe, a person from giving evidence. Batchelor was remanded for sentence to the end of the criminal session. No evidence was called for - the defence* -, , \ . >: .i In his address to the jury, Mr. Leicester said that the proof of the first four charges rested almost entirely ou the evidence of two witnesses whose characters and demeanour in the witness box were such as not to inspire confidence. He suggested that Batchelor’s actions throughout, however undesirable, were foolish and not criminal. ■ ■ The jury were absent for an hour and 50 minutes.’

PALMERSTON SENTENCES. PALMERSTON N., February 9. Prisoners were sentenced by Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court today as follow: — . ■William Henry Smith and William John Wade, both aged 55 years, appeared for sentence for breaking and entering by day with intent to commit a crime.. Smith was admitted to probation for ,18 months, and Wade was sentenced f to one month’s imprisonment. Counsel characterised the offence as a drunken spree. George Hubner, aged 26, for indecent assault on a male at Feilding, was admitted to probation for- two years. His Honor commented that accused was not a criminal in the ordinary sense.