SOLICITOR’S DOWNFALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3870, 15 May 1928, Page 10

SOLICITOR’S DOWNFALL.

MISUSE OF CLIENTS’ MONEY. The sentence of six years’ penal servitude passed ou Edwin Thomas Hatt, solicitor, of Oxford and Reading, at the Old Bailey, created a sensation in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire recently. The charge was one of misappropriation of clients’ money, the amount involved being nearly £4OOO. Hatt, who inherited a fortune of £lOO.OOO from his father, a leading agriculturist. had been prominently associated with the public life of the two counties. He was for three years a member of the Oxford City Council, County Cricket Club, the Oxford City Cricket Club, and the Oxford Hockey Association. As solicitor to the Reading Licensed Victuallers’ Society he took a great interest in the society schools at Slough, and was very popular with the members.

At Hatt’s trial his counsel. Mr J. B. Matthews. K.C.. made a strong plea for leniency. He said the extravagance of which Hatt had been guilty was inspired by his inheriting a large fortune. He had been identified prominently with many charities. During the war he acted as honorary treasurer of the Goring Military Hospital. “ I ask you,” said Mr Matthews. “ to think of the dreadful position to which his wife has been reduced. to think of his daughter, aged 23, the elder son, who was hoping to join his father in his practice.” Evidence concerning the high character of Hatt was given by Sir Joku Charles Fox, for many years a master in the Chancery Division, and by Air 11. J. Turrell, recorder of Banbury. Mr Justice Humphreys said he was unable to heed the appeal for mercy, as it was a very bad case. Before surrendering to the police when a warrant was issued against him Hatt went to a barber's shop for a shave, and after purchasing a packet of cigarettes drove to the police station in his ear. His attitude after his arrest was extraordinary. While on bail he entered a Reading hotel, which he occasionally frequented, and acted as if nothing had happened. At times, however, he talked about his affairs, and he made no secret of the fact that he would prefer penal servitude to hard labour, on the ground that the one meant a reduction of three)-— ~ months of a year for good conduct, and.' the other but two months. After Hatt surrendered lie was unable to secure bail, and spent a week in Oxford Gaol. While there he found life irksome, and asked that he might be given employment. The Governor replied that if Hatt were a shoemaker or carpenter some employment might be found for him. to which Hatt retorted. “ You have plenty of poor prisoners here, . Cannot I defend them? ” When examined by the prison doctor Hatt asked whether he could be supplied with whisky in cold weather, and seemed surprised by the reply that the gaol was not an hotel. Later, when released on bail, Hatt visited the Berkshire Assizes daily, to the obvious embarrassment of his former colleagues. At the Reading Police Court he was callous. He pleaded not guilty to one charge on the ground that he had not had £lO5O belonging to one of his clients, but only £099.

After each hearing, while awaiting his bail Hatt’s meals were taken to him. On the last occasion he left a note on his plate, which read: “This is the toughest steak I ever tasted.”