GAOL FOR LAWYER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22470, 14 July 1936, Page 15

GAOL FOR LAWYER

TEEM OF FOUR YEARS DISAPPEARANCE SEQUEL SHARES AND HORSE RACING [khom our own comikspondent] SYDNEY, July !> A sorry sequel on mo in n Sydno.v eriininal Court tliis week to the disappearance of tivo brothers from a fishing launch at Pittwater, about 20 miles north of Sydney, and their recognition a few days-Inter at Broken" Hill. 600 miles from Sydney. The search for the two men after their damaged boat had been found received widespread public-ity. One of the brothers was Harold Yorke Thompson, aged 35 years, a. Parramatta solicitor. He pleaded guilty in the Sydney Quarter Sessions to four charges of fraudulent misappropriation, three of forgery, one of uttering and two of false pretences. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Detective-Sergeant Clifford said that the money involved was £3107. Crimes involving £2OOO of that amount had been committed since last January Thompson had given the police every assistance in clearing up the matters, and had pointed out some matters not easily discovered. Thompson had practised in Parramatta as a solicitor for some years, and, until these lapses had been discovered, had been a man of good repute and standing. When lie and his brother had gone to the Hawkesbury River, ostensibly on a launch fishing trip, they had disappeared in circumstances suggesting tragedy. This had caused an intensive police search. They had been discovered in Broken Hill, and subsequently Thompson had been arrested in Adelaide. In a plea for leniency, counsel for Thompson said his client had commenced to speculate in shares in the depression years, and, when that failed, had tried to recover by gambling on racehorses. His troubles "snowballed." At every step Fate was ngninst him, until, in desperation, he took the last drastic step. The legal firm to which Thompson had belonged had undertaken to pay all amounts owing through Thompson's actions. A doctor said that during tho last six months Thompson had appeared very worried, and had suffered front lack of concentration, which suggested great mental stress. Throughout the proceedings Thompson sat in tho dock with his arms folded, and his head bowed. His plea of guilty to each charge was almost inaudible.