TWO YEARS’ GAOL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17410, 7 November 1930, Page 8

TWO YEARS’ GAOL

MECCA OIL FRAUDS JUDGE'S SCATHING COMMENT (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Two years' hard labor was imposed by .Mr, Justice Ostler on Morton Parker Pimentul in 1:lro Mecca nil case. Mis Honor severely criticised the metliods of the accused, branding his scheme, as one conceived in fraud and for which his whole capital came front the victims of speciously and cunningly worded advertisements and letters. Addressing Pimental. Mis Honor said the jury had reeominended mercy on the ground, as they put it, that if left alone Ik; might have, made good in his business. It was a little difficult fot llis Honor to understand that. ‘‘The method of carrying on your business made it to my mind mathematically certain that you couldn’t have made good as an honest dealer in oil, and made it- certain that the business must have come to ruin, but as you risked no capital, all the losses would fall on the victims of your fraud.” His Honor also remarked that something like £ICOO of the money of the victims had disappeared, and until he got satisfactory evidence to the contrary he could only assume that tlie greater part of it was stowed away somewhere, where the prisoner could get it. His own opinion was that Pimental never thought he could make a success of the business, and it was His Honor’s opinion that it was Pimental’s intention to go on as long as he could raking in money, and then disappear when he had made a considerable sum. He thought an appropriate term would have been three years, but in deference lo the opinion of the jury he would reduce that term.