AN OLD ROGUE

Grey River Argus, 27 June 1925, Page 5

AN OLD ROGUE

” LONDON LAWYER GAOLED. DOUBLE LIFE REVEALED. LONDON June 25. Charles Sliarnian, seventy-five, a well known London solicitor, who pleaded gniltv to conspiring to steal and receive inail bags rooted and to forgerv, was .■sentenced al the Old Bai lev to’three veals’ imprisonment. The “Daily Express” says: Sharman had one of the largest practices in criminal eases in London- lie was solicitor for the defence in many notable trials. lb- was a prominent churchman, and > ffiee bearer tor many local authorities. It is be. lieved that Shannon received over £20.000 as his share of the , thefts, which commenced in 1921. The actual value of the securities stolen was hundreds of thousands, but many were unrealisable. During the early I investigation, Sliarnian visited the | Post Office authorities, and said that [ he had learned a foreigner, who was his exact double, was cashing the stolen securities on the Continent. He was cordially thanked, awl no breath of suspicion rested upon him. It was urged in mitigation that accused was largely responsible for the recovery of £90,000 worth of bonds from Antwerp. In sentencing Sharman, Justice Halter said: — “The Court is satisfied that you as an experienced solicitor of the High Court for years, have associated with a gang of daring dangerous thieves, and mad b:.g robbers. The robbers have acquired a mass of valuable securities which would have been of little use without your assists m e in disposing of the booty. You sold them all overEurope and America, in false, names, not hesitating at. forgery when ncceseary. I a lll tolcl that Y ou have boon continually and heavily blackmailed, but thieves often blackmail one an. other.”