POSED AS NINE MEN

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1933, Page 8

POSED AS NINE MEN

“FRAUDULENT SCOUNDREL.”

SICK SOCIETIES DEFRAUDED.

The dock officer at Birmingham Assizes, at Mr. Justice Humphrey’s direction, shouted in a deaf man’s ear, “The judge says you are a fraudulent old scoundrel.”

The judge then sentenced the man, Thomas Griffiths, aged 54, described as a carpenter, of Pyle, Glamorganshire, to three years’ penal servitude for obtaining money from friendly societies by fraud. David Wilmott, aged 38, a confectioner, of Pyle, who was charged with him, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Sir Reginald Coventry, prosecuting, said that the case disclosed a deliberate fraud in order to obtain money from, a large number of friendly societies. Griffiths fed for years been obtaining sick

benefit, and Wilmott, who had never been out of work, had also obtained sick benefit. , , . The investigations covered only tne last two years, and dealt with 15 friendly societies, but the prosecution had reason to believe that no fewer than 80 friendly societies were either defrauded or efforts had been made to defraud them. The system was simple, and was, no doubt, originated by Griffiths. “Griffiths paid contributions for a few months,” said Sir Reginald, “and then fell ill, and on a doctor’s certificate obtained sick benefit. He found, it was easy, so he extended his operations. “He belonged to a great number of societies, and used the names of people • who had disappeared, after obtaining their birth certificates from Somerset House.” , Sir Reginald added that Wilmott, who was extremely clever, in postures, visited nine doctors in two years, and had 122 different certificates in the names of Griffiths, Lloyd, Miller and Taylor. He hoodwinked the doctors on various occasions and simulated diseases which it was difficult to diagnose.. One doctor gave him nine certificates in four months, and did not know that he was the same man. When Griffiths was arrested there was found a notebook in which were the names of 98 societies. There were also 24 membership cards. They knew that from 15 societies in the last two years Griffiths had obtained £741, but that was a small fraction.