ACCUSED OF STAGING CRIME

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 August 1938, Page 8

ACCUSED OF STAGING CRIME

“MISLED BY LYING STORY.”

LONDON, June 21

Two men. one an accountant, the other formerly a torpedo-man, were accused, at Bromley, yesterday, of staging a. crime so that the second one could get out of the Navy. Guy Forrester Bell, 29, accountant, of Chelsea, and William James Reed, 19, until recently of the Royal Naval Ear-racks, Chatham, were committed for trial at. Kent Assizes charged with misleading a judicial tribunal, the Bromley Court of Petty Sessions, on May 3 and 4. Bail was allowed. Mr H. A. K. Morgan, prosecuting, described the case as “most extraordinary.” “The admitted facts disclose a most impertinent conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and bring this Court into contempt,” he said. “That conspiracy was quite successful for a time.”

The two men apparently met early this year and became very friendly. On May 3 Bell met Reed by appointment at Chatham and they drove away together in Bell’s car. “Reed confided to Bell that he wanted to get out of the Navy and had decided to do something which would get him out,” continued Mr Morgan. “He said that if he committed a crime which would get him three months he would be chucked out of the Navy. Bell suggested that they should stage a crime—a put-up job.” They drove to Hayes Common, where Reed struck Bell a slight blow over the head with a. jack-knife wrapped in a. handkerchief. Then he drove off in the car. He had apparently never driven before. Bell then had a ’phone call put through to Scotland Yard, saying he had been violently assaulted by a sailor to whom he had given a lift, and that the sailor had stolen the car. “All the mechanism of the police, including wireless cars, were put into operation,” said Mr Morgan. At. 12.20 a.m., Reed drove up to a police station at Walworth and said: “I wish to give myself up. I have pinched the car which is outside. I don’t, know what came over me. I met this bloke on Bromley Common and asked him for a lift. I must have hit. him with this, and the next, thing I remember was driving the car a way."

As he spoke Reed showed the jackknife, wrapped in a. handkerchief. He was taken to Bromley and detained. On May 4 Deed showed the packknife, wrapped in a handkerchief. He was taken to Bromley and detained. On May 4 Reed appeared in Court, and Bell, in the witness-box, repeated the lying story of an assault. The Magistrates gave Reed three months' hard labour. “That is exactly what he wanted." went, on Mr Morgan. “I do not know whether it was the result, of that or not, but he is now no longer in the Navy.” Reed was sent to Wormwood' Scrubs boys’ prison, and possibly because he Hked the prison even less than lie liked lhe Navy he thought better of it and lodged an appeal, saying he had neither assaulted Bell nor stolen the car and that. it. was a "put-up job.” On May .12 a detective-inspector saw Bell, who, in a written statement, withdrew everything and told the true, facts. On May 16 Reed, who had been released pending his appeal, made a full confession, and on May 30 his appeal was heard. The sentence was reduced Io one day. ’Through their solicitors. Bell and Reed intimated that they reserved their defence.