"MAD IMPULSE"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23281, 25 February 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

"MAD IMPULSE"

Rich Man Heavily Fined For Attempte

A" MAD IMPULSE " which made a wealthy company director attempt to smuggle a camera into England cost him £lB4 16s 3d at Croydon Police Court.

THE man, James Greville Goodenough, of Coulby, Marton - in - Cleveland, Middlesbrough, formerly managing director of Messrs. Dorman Long and Com-' pany, pleaded guilty to two summonses—attempted evasion of duty on a camera and exposure-meter, and making a false declaration. Mr. B. M. Stephenson, prosecuting, related that, at Croydon Airport, Mr. Goodenough wns asked if he had a camera. He said he had one he bought in Middlesbrough 18 months ago and had t'Aken out of the country. Mr. Goodenough added that he could not remember the shop where he bought the camera, but he had a receipt for it at home. "A Lot of Lies" "The officer," continued Mr. Stephenson, "then asked him to make a written declaration. Ho did, and signed it. "His manner»was quite cool, and still the senior Customs officer was dissatisfied because the camera was so new. The officer pointed out to Mr. Goode-

no ugh that particulars of the declaration would be verified and that it would be possible to find out tlio exact date of manufacture and the date and place of sale. "On hearing this, Mr. Goodenough said: 'Well, supposing I tell you that it is a lot of lies I have been telling you?' "The officer asked what he meant, and Mr. Goodenough said: 'l've told you a lot of lies. I've just bought the camera in Cairo ' and asked that he might bo allowed to tear up the declaration form he had signed. "Mr. Goodenough was then invited to the office, and the facts reported to Mr. J. Sutton, the chief preventive officer. "After further questioning, he pror duced the exposure-meter from his pocket and said he had traded an old camera taken from England as part payment for the new camera and the meter." A serious aspect of the case, Mr. Stephenson went on, was that Mr. Goodenough was a man in a very good position. At the time of the offence he was managing director of Messrs. Dorman Long and Company, biit he had einco resigned. "You have inflicted considerable penalties for Customs cases," Mr. Stephenson told the magistrates, "and these have obtained considerable publicity, but it does not seem to do much good. "Exemplary Penalty" "This is a case, 1 suggest, for an exemplary penalty to teach people, especially in this position, that they must not do this sort of thing." "When I arrived at Croydon J had no intention of trying to defraud the Customs," Mr. Goodenough told the Court. "It was a mad impulse 1 very much regret. "1 signed the declaration, but I want you to bear in mind I had been travelling for 18 hours, and my perception of what T read was not as clear as it should have been."

He was fined the maximum penalty on the smuggling summons —.£l3l 13s 3d—and £SO and £3 3s costs for making the false declaration.