“THE VILEST CRIME.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LX, Issue 9800, 9 May 1924, Page 6

“THE V ILEST CRIME.”

12 YEARS FOR. TWO BLACKMAILER^ Lord Hewart, the Lord Chief Justice at Lewes Assizes, sentenced two blackmailers—brothers named John Herbert Berehett Halsey, 2S, a stoker and William Tinsley, 30. a barman — to 12 years’ penal servitude. The Halse’ys were accused of demanding £2O with menaces from Walter Leslie Heaver, Nurseryman, of Bosham, near Chichester. Mr J. Flowers, fo rthe prosecution, said that Mr Heaver lived at Bi'oadbridge Farm, Bosham, with his mother. He was 46, and for the last ten years there was no doubt ho had been under the personal influence of John Halsey. Mr Heaver _in 1912 employed John, then aged 17, at his nurseries. Shortly afterwards John joined the Navy. They corresponded and sometimes met. In tho summer of 1913 they at times went bathing together. Something occurred, and from that time Mr Heaver had been persecuted by John Halsey. Various sums had been sent to him. Altogether up to the end of last year John Halsey had received £2,190. Later, when the two men had withdrawn their plea of _ Not Guilty, it was stated that William Halsey had received £1,942 from Mr Heaver.

Lord Hewart. in passing sentence, said:

Blackmail is one of the vilest and most cowardly crimes which it is possible for a man to commit. Very often it is a crime which goes unpunished, because the miserable victims of it arei not 'prepared to bring the offenders to trial. Morally it is on the same footing as a cowardly assassination frequently repeated. This is my experience ever since my association with the law began, the worst' blackmail case that I have known.

The maximum sentence which the

law prescribes for this offence is penal servitude for life, and when I consider the length of time over which this persecution has extended, and the amount of moneywhich each of the prisoners has extorted from this wretched man, I am, not at all: sure that I ought not to pass the maximum sentence.

The Halseys, who appeared stunned on hearing tho sentence, were taken away to the cells.