£6,000 BETS FRAUD ATTEMPT

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1936, Page 3

£6,000 BETS FRAUD ATTEMPT

POSTAL TRICK TRIED

LONDON. April 19

A remarkable story was disclosed by his solicitor when Herbert Albert Brooker, an electrician, was bound over yesterday at Sevenoaks. Kent, on a charge of attempting to defraud a lirm of bookmakers of more than £6,000.

It was stated that Brooker had been spending his time on an electrical invention of his own intended as a cure for cancer. To buy equipment he borrowed £5O from a friend, and had been working with this for over a year. When his friend wanted the money hack he sold the equipment, repaid £43. and. to obtain the balance, resorted to betting. He did not at first intend to commit the attempted fraud, but did it more as a joke than anything. Broker, who pleaded guilty, was charged with attempting to obtain from Scotland and Co. (Glasgow) Ltd., on February 5, £6.044 10/- by pretending that he had despatched by post from Sevenoaks to Glasgow a postal packet containing two postal orders, each worth £l. as hets, and a betting slip bearing the names of four horses taking part in races on February 6. The allegation was that Brookdr posted the packet after Ihe races had been run.

Supt. Goldsmith said that on February 6 a Post Office employee named illcrsemann was in Glasgow head post 'office sorting letters collected in Glasgow that evening. i | POSTED AFTER RACES. I He found one addressed to Scotland and Co. that had already been datestamped at 9 p.m. on February 5 from Sevenoaks. I When Brooker’s letter was delivered Ito the bookmakers the postal orders land a betting slip on the accumulator style were found. The slip, signed by defendant, related to four horses which won al the following prices: Norwood Hill 3-i, Styx River 3-1. Elmstead 20-1 and Sonna 100-6, and the winnings amounted to £6,044 10/-. Supt. Goldsmith added that Brooker made a statement in which he declaried: “I went 10 Glasgow and posted the j letter. 1 tilled the horses’ names in !alter the races while I was on a ’bus 'in Glasgow. I “The envelope was postmarked at I Sevenoaks as it was addressed to me lon a piece of paper slipped on over the printed address in Glasgow, and when I got the envelope I took the paper off.” After Mr. L. 11. House, defending, I had made his stat ement on Brooker's behalf, the chairman of the Bench said filial, as Brooker came from a very re- . speciable family, the Bench would deal 'leniently with him.