JUDGE APOLOGISES

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4230, 15 October 1935, Page 2

JUDGE APOLOGISES

DEFENDANT HE GALLED A LIAR “ 1 am satisfied you are an honest man, and 1 desire to withdraw anything I said that may reflect upon your honesty.” With these words, Judge Woodcock, in Leeds County Court, apologised for remarks which he made to a defendant, Mr James Booth, of Rothwell, near Leeds, who was before him in May. Mi- Booth was sued by Electrical Distribution of Yorkshire Limited for £7 7s lOd, claimed for the hire-purchase of wiring apparatus. An agreement was pioduced which, it was alleged, he had signed, but Mr Booth denied he had done so He declared it had been signed by his wife and repudiated liability. Judge Woodcock asked Mr Booth to write some words and his name. Having compared the writing with the signature on the agreement, Judge Woodcock declared : “I have seldom seen a test signature in court so .exactly corresponding with a signature in discussion. It is practically a copy of the signature on this agreement. “ ! am quite satisfied you are a liar and do not hesitate here to commit wilful perjury in order to avoid payment of this debt. There will be judgment for the amount claimed, with cost*.”

Addressing Mr Booth in court on his second appearance, Judge Woodcock stated : “ Some time ago an action was brought against you in this court on an agreement you swore you had never signed. On the material then before me I feel I was instilled in coming to the decision. “ Since then the writings in question have been submitted to a handwriting expert, and he has reported that the signature on the agreement is not yours. He gives reasons for his decision with which I agree, but these are reasons which would not be ap parent to one who is not an expert. “ I intensely dislike that an injustice should be done to any man, and feeling as I do that what I said in court placed a serious stigma on your character, 1 desire now to say with equal .publicity that 1 am satisfied that von are an honest man.”

Judge Woodcock added that Mr Booth could apply to have the judgment made against him set aside.