JUDGMENT GIVEN

Northern Advocate, 19 April 1933, Page 5

JUDGMENT GIVEN

Except in one instance of acquittal, the accused Russians are to suffer incarceration ranging from the shortest of 18 months to the, longest of ten years.

EXCITED . THRONG

TERMS PRONOUNCED STRONG PLEAS IN DEFENCE. EFFECTIVE POINTS MADE. MR GREGORY ACQUITTED. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April IS,

• There were no death sentences in the trial at Moscow of four Britishers, employees of the Metropolitan Vickers, Ltd., and 12 Russians, on charges of alleged sabotage, espionage and bribery. Sentences were passed as follows: • ME-W. H. THORNTON, three years.

MR WM. MACDONALD, two years. MESSRS .- CUSHNY, NORDWAL L and MONKHOUSE, to be ..deported within, three days; MR GREGORY, acquitted.

The Russian accused were sentenced as follows: — ,

MADAME KUTOSOV.A, 18 months. GUSEV, LOBANOV and SUKHAROUTCHIN, ten years.

SOKOLOV, ZORIN and KOTLYA REVSKY, eight years. 3CRASCHENNINIKOV, five years. OLEINIK, three years. LIEBEDEY, two years. SIEBERT, acquitted.

The Court was packed with an excited . timing on -resumption today. *M. Ilya Braude, who has been defending counsel in many -Soviet trials, said that; any bribes that Mr Thornton had foolishly given for economic informationwere not espionage. He spoke for 45 minutes, but was generally unconvincing.

, On the other hand M. Dalmatovsky, defending Mr Gregory and Mr Nordwall, immediately made good points. He said: “Lobanov, Oleinik and Mr Thornton have given evidence against Mr Nordwall, but the prosecutor called them abject, immoral types, so their evidence is discredited worthless.”

He demanded Mr Nordwall’s acquittal.

'Counsel’s plea in which he emphasised Mr Nordwall’s attachment to his Russian wife and his family life, and. bis pro-Bolshevist sympathies strengthened his client’s chances. Counsel decided that it was unnecessary to plead for Mr Gergory, whose release was regarded as certain. Slender Evidence. . Mr Cushny’s counsel, M. Lidoff, declared that there were not sufficient documents to incriminate the prisoner. Moreover the charges were based partly on the breakdown at Baku in 1928, on which testimony was only now forthcoming. Mr Cuslmy was alleged to be guilty of bribery because ho lent •small sums to workers, who sometimes failed to repay him, Mr Cuslmy had received political, economic and not military information. Ho was interested in everything Russian, but not from the spy’s viewpoint. M. Komodov, defending Air Monkhouse, opened unconvincingly like M. Braude, causing Mr Monkhonse to frown, his lined, careworn face expressing profound pessimism. His counsel said that though long residence in Russia had formed a bond between Mr Monkhonse and Mr Thornton the evi-. deuce showed that Mr Thornton didnot tell Mr Monkhonse all about his activities.* • Mr ..‘Monkhonse could not, have been the central figure of the; group, as the prosecution alleged, because Sokolov and'Mr MacDonald did mot name him, though they implicated Mr Thornton. Central Figure, M. Komodov pleaded with the judgesnot, to confuse Mr Monkhonse with Mr Thornton, who himself was clearly the central figure and had attempted to implicate Mr Monkhonse. M. Komodoy’s omission to -ask the judges to acquit Mr Monkhonse and his failure to mention Mr Monkhonse” ■sensational charge that the trial was a “frame-up” caused surprise. At the conclusion of counsel's

MOSCOW PRISONERS NO DEATH SENTENCES VARIOUS GAOL TERMS LONGEST FOR TEN YEARS THREE BRITONS TO BE DEPORTED The anxiously awaited verdict in connection with the Moscow trial of Metropolitan Vickers employees, variously charged with espionage, sabotage and “wrecking,” allays former fears of the death penalty being pronounced in the case of any of the arraigned Britons, while the gaol sentences given are of less duration than had been predicted in many quarters. Messrs Thornton and MacDonald are to serve three year and two years respectively, and speedy deportation is ordered in respect of Messrs Cushny, Nordwell and Monkhouse.

speeches, the prisoners were permitted to address the Court. Mr Cushny said: “My counsel has torn to shreds the accusations against me. Whatever the verdict is I shall leave the Court an honest man.” Statements By Accused.

Mr MacDonald, speaking in a dull monotone, said: “I have acknowledged my guilty. I have nothing to add.”

Mr Nordwall -said: “It is painful to hear the remarks of the prosecutor. I always did my work honestly and did all I could to help the Soviet. The Ogpu treated me fairly and the trial has been most fair, but I am not guilty and will remain a friend of the 'Soviet Union.

Mr Thornton said: “I pleaded not guilty at. the beginning of the trial and still do so. ' The evidence against me has been unreliable. That is all.”

Mr Alonkhouse said: “I am-absolute- ■ ly innocent and I am certain that Air. Thornton did not voluntarily ’sign a confession implicating me in spying, 1 do neft believe that the documents pro-j duced would- hold good■ in- any court, abroad. Regarding wrecking, I never know a, mother to plunge a dagger into• the heart of her child. 1 have never bribed and never will. The Ogpu found| no bribe in the firm’s books.”

Air Gregory declared his . innocence. All the Russians including Aladamo Kutosova and Sokolov -pleaded guilty. The judges .then retired to consider their verdict. . .

. Those with experience in. British courts ruefully reflect on how a firstrate British lawyer could have annihilated the prosecution’s case and have devoted the whole day, not 45 minutes, to tearing the Ogpu to shreds. The obvious inhibitions upon the Russian counsel and the Soviet’s different conception of their duties and liberties remain the mst unconvicing aspect of the trial.

NO RIGHT OF APPEAL. BRITISH CABINET MEETS. REPRISAL MOOTED. ' BAN ON GOODS. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, April .18

The political correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph ’I states that a hurriedly summoned meeting of" Cabinet decided that if sentences of imprisonment were passed on the British prisoners swiff action should be taken in accordance with the Russian Goods Imports Prohibition Act. Authority in tire matter was"delegated to Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary. The aceused men have no right to ■ appeal.