PETROL COUPONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1944, Page 6

PETROL COUPONS

FORGERY CHARGE WITHDRAWN AUCKLAND, October 27. The trial of Donald Lamon, aged 31, a salesman, and Charles White, aged 32, a farmer, on a charge of forging a card of petrol coupons, and on a charge of conspiring with each other and with other persons unknown at Whangarei to commit the crime of uttering forged petrol coupons, was concluded in the Supreme Court to-day. Detective J. B. Findlay said Lamon admitted having given the parcel to the night porter, but there were no coupons it in and he had got the parcel back. He denied he was the person who gave the parcel containing the coupons to the receptionist at the hotel office. To Mr. Henry, witness said that when Lamon was told of the finding of the forged coupons, he said: “I don’t know what you are talking about.” To Mr. Sullivan witness said White had been prosecuted for bookmaking. The defence offered no evidence. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr. V. R. Meredith) said there was no evidence apart from possession that the accused themselves forged the coupons, and he suggested that the charge be withdrawn. . Mr. Justice Fair said he entirely agreed that the evidence would not support the charge of forgery, and he directed the jury that it was bound to bring in a verdict of not guilty on this charge. Mr. Henry said the charge of conspiring to utter forged documents required proof that the person uttering them knew that they were forged. Of that there was no'proof at all in this case. Mr. Sullivan submitted it was essential to the Crown case to show collusion between two or more persons to do an unlawful act. This it had entirely failed to do. His Honor said he thought there was no doubt the coupons were forged, and that was the starting point for consideration of the case. The next question was whether Lamon knew they were forged. There was the evidence of two persons and the indirect evidence of a third that these coupons were handed oyer to them by Lamon, The evidence against White was not nearly so strong as that against Lamon and there was no evidence connecting him with the parcel. The fact that they might suspect White but not find the evidence sufficient against him was not a reason for acquitting Lamon. The jury returned after an hour and a quarter to find both accused guilty on the second count, and they were remanded for sentence.