WOOLCOTT FORBES

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1944, Page 7

WOOLCOTT FORBES

FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT

SYDNEY, March 22.

Found guilty by a jury to-day on charges of having forged and uttered falsified share certificates while a director of Producers and General Finance Corporations, Ltd., John Woolcott Forbes was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by Mr Justice Street. Alter the foreman, had announced the verdict a juror startled the packed Court by telling His Honor that he had been offered .£2OO if he was prepared to sway the jury. He, let the matter lapse until the verdict had been reached and then told the other members of the jury what had happened. His Honor thanked the juror. Sentencing Forbes, His Honor said he fully agreed with the jury’s finding. “It must bo borne in mind that a man of wealth and station has corresponding responsibilities which the administration of large sums of money imposes,” he said. “This obligation you appear to have entirely disregarded.” In a statement from the dock after he had been convicted Forbes said he was shocked at the dastardly methods employed by the Crown in endeavouring to find him guilty at the cost of dishonouring Australia’s name. “Furthermore, I consider you did not give mo a lair summing up,” said Forbes to His Honor. “I feel , your summing up will go down in history as one of the most shocking ones ever given in a British Court.”