Attempt to Defraud the National lnsurance Company.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 168, 4 September 1886, Page 3

Attempt to Defraud the National lnsurance Company.

At the Sydney ' Supreme - Court Francis Charles Taylor v was arraigned on a charge, of causing the- payment of the earn of £71 7s 7d to be made to him by the National ' Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand, by faleely represent* ing that the, foremast and lower rigging of the ketch Champion, which * was' insured for ' £200, had been' carried away during stormy weather, and that the vessel had sustained other injuries! It ap- ' peared from the' evidence that the accueed, who was master 'of the vessel, sailed on March 13th from Port Jackson to Port Stephens.' , Soon , after passing the Heads the wind became, strong, and some slight injury was done to the mainmast. An effort was made to get the ketch into Broken Bay/ but the craft had finally to be taken to Newcastle. When the captain went ashore he remarked, "If I cannot make the damage up to £200,1 shall get nothing from the insurance company," and he then threw away some of the sails. On reaching the open sea he smashed one of the boats with an axe, to make it appear as though it had been damaged by the boom j and by making ' these false representations to the surveyors' for the insurance company he obtained the sum of £71 7s 7d, the amount at which the damage was estimated. The prisoner during the opening of the case frequently interrupted the Crown Prosecutor, and was ' at;iength cautioned by bis'Honourthat whilst he should receive every fairness he could not be allowed to interfere with the procedure ; of the , Court. The charge was amply .borne out by the evidence' of the vaiibus witneesea and the' jury returned a verdict of guilty, with the recommendation to mercy; His Honor, in addressing the prisoner, eaid that btit for the recommendatiolf "of ~ the jury he would 'have been sentenced bo two years 9 imprisonment. The -sentence of the Court was that he should be imprisoned for twelve months and kept to hard labour.