SPURIOUS GOLD MEDALS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 7

SPURIOUS GOLD MEDALS

WELLINGTON MAN CONVICTED

MERCY RECOMMENDED BY JURY.

“CHANCE TO BUY AT FACE VALUE.” £2O FRAUDS AT CHRISTCHURCH. By TelesrAph.—Press Association. . ... Christchurch, Last Night, Charged with obtaining money by false pretences, Norris Blaxall, aged 39, a jeweller, and Luke Stephen Dolan, aged 27, a ship’s steward, appeared for trial before Mr. Justice Ostler and jury in the Supreme Court to-day. It was alleged that they had made spurious golcT medals and sold them to gold buyers, representing the medals to be solid 18-carat gold. There were six charges. The total amount involved was £29.

•The jury after a retirement of three hours found Blaxall guilty on all counts and Dolan not guilty on all counts. The jury added a rider recommending mercy on the grounds that the gold buyers had an opportunity of purchasing the medals at their face value. Blaxall was remanded till Friday for sentence.

Several jewellers and gold buyers gave evidence as to having bought medals from Blaxall, who told some of the purchasers that he was selling the medal for a woman or for a relative and others that he was hard up. All the witnesses said they tested the edge of the medal and found it gold of the quality stamped. Constable Parrish said Blaxall admitted selling a medal’ to a second-hand dealer at more than its true value. He had sold several medals which he brought from Wellington for th© purpose, but in no case had he told th© buyer that the medal was solid gold. Dolan said he had been given medals by Blaxall to sell in Christchurch.- He was to be paid expenses and was to receive other money when he returned to Wellington. One jeweller cut a medal in halves; discovered the core of silver and refused to. buy it. Dolan communicated with Blaxall, who came to Christchurch and took charge, selling several medals