OPIUM IN BOOK

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 September 1934, Page 10

OPIUM IN BOOK

“CENTENARY”ENTRANT FINED LONDON, July 22. A well-connected Frenchman who was said to have been wounded 14 ’times in the Great War, and to have won the Croix de Guerre, the Medaille Militaire, and the Legion of Honour, was. fined £l5 with costs at Marlborough Street yesterday for importing opium. He was Henri Jacques Lacloche, a French citizen, aged 39, and he was charged on remand with being in possession of drug-taking instruments. At the opening of the case on July 13, a police witness stated that Lacloche, who was described as. independent, and gave no address, had been in this country since May 11. He had been living at an hotel, but had left that day. Lacloche was further charged yesterday with being in unauthorised possession of prepared opium. Mr. B. S. Jaquet, prosecuting for the Customs and Excise, said that the charge arose from the importation of a package sent by ah* mail to Lacloche at the Dorchester Hotel. It bore the Paris postmark. At Croydon it was sent to the General Post Office and passed over to the Customs. It was found to contain a book, the interior t of which had been cut out and a small black powder inserted. This was. found to be opium dross —the scrapings of an opium pipe made up for smoking again. I Lacloche, who was then staying at a flat at Grosvenor House Hotel, at first said, counsel added, that it was a, practical joke on. the part of the peF son who had sent; it. Later, however, he admitted that it had been sent to him from Paris for his own use, as he had taken drugs as the result of severe war wounds.' At his flat were found some prepared opium, an opium pipe with tube, and an opium lamp. Det.-Sergt. Lount said that Lacloche had a wife , and two children living in, Paris.. He left school to join the army, , and on one occasion, while serving with the Air Force, was shot down. He was receiving a 100 per cent, dis-

ability pension. There was nd doubt that lie had imported opium for his own use. HOPES OF A CURE Dr. Aherne said that Lacloche was now under his treatment, and he had hopes of effecting a cure in three months. It would be. a pity to interrupt that treatment. Mr. Horace Fenton, who defended, pointed out that there were no restrictions in France with regard to the use of opium in this way. Lacloche came to-this country on May 11 with the idea of making preparations for the air race, to Australia. He was not a drug addict. He had previously had treatment in Paris, and : had been cured for six years, but he had had further trouble and had taken to drugs again. The' magistrate (Mr. Boyd) said Lacloche was obviously a victim of his War wounds. Lacloche was fined £l5 for importing opium and ordered to pay five guineas' costs. On the other charges he was remanded on bairuntirNovember 8 on the condition that he remains under medical treatment.