SERIES OF FRAUDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21298, 27 September 1932, Page 9

SERIES OF FRAUDS

BOGUS AIR OFFICER ENGLISH TRADESMEN SWINDLED [from OUR OWN correspondent] LOXDOX. Aug. 19 At Brighton Police Court on Tuesday, Claude Capron, aged 29, alias Geoffrey Ronald Cranstone, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for a series of frauds. The police said that for some months past the man had been living systematically on his wits. He had had visiting cards printed describing himself as "Flight-Lieutenant Geoffrey Ronald Cranstone, R.A.F.," but actually that was not his right name, and he had no connection with the Air Force.

Capron was accustomed to present his card to people, and represent that he was a man of means with property in New Zealand and money in a New Zealand bank, which was untrue. He arranged to purchase from a firm of local dealers a motor-car costing £7OO. The dealers went to considerable trouble to have the car sent round. He said he wanted a fast car to take back to New Zealand for speed trials.

Accused obtained a wireless set, value £lO, by giving a dealer a cheque which was found to be worthless, as he had no account at the bank. He rented a cottage at Rottingdean and paid the deposit with another worthless cheque for £5. He had run up a number of bills with local dealers, and was unable to pay them. Capron had asked a Brighton girl to marry him representing that his wife was killed in the New Zealand earthquake. She agreed, and he gave notice at the register office, and then said they would have to wait for a few days until proof of his wife's death arrived from New Zealand. Ho had told the police that ho was born at La Hague, but, when charged earlier this year with fraud at Slough, he told the police that he was born at Teddington.