MONOCLE MAN’S PLEA OF WRONG IDENTITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17647, 21 September 1925, Page 8

MONOCLE MAN’S PLEA OF WRONG IDENTITY.

tURY FINDS HIM GUILTY ON FRAUD CHARGES. LOXDOX, August G. Looking: at his. papers through a rold-rimmed monocle and protesting hat ho was not the “ monbcled man” vanted by the police, Dorian Harold Frevor, 4A, conducted his own defence it London Sessions .yesterday. Against him were charges of theft mcl fraud in the West End of London. When arrested in a Piccadilly cafe, it was stated, he had only os —and his monocle. Giving evidence of arrest. DetectiveSergeant Beard was cross-examined by Trevor. lie said lie did not hear De-tective-Inspector Stevens say to him, * We only want sufficient evidence tc dear Major Sheppard, who has been identified as you.” Trevor’s statement was not made under duress. He did not hear anyone sav it was up to Trevor, as a sporting thing, to plead guilty in order to clear Major Sheppard. Trevor, it was stated, had taken a flat in Clarges Street and sent the house-keeper in a taxicab to Esher for his luggage. Having failed to iind the uggage, the house-keeper returned tc ind that Trevor and suitcases contain ng i'222 worth of property had vanish :d. When Mary Jones, a maid, employed n a flat at Knightsbridge, identified Frevor as a man who inspected the flat Trevor complained that she was giv ng her evidence in a hostile spirit. “ She is Welsh, you know,” said the •hainnan. ** You must make allowTrevor, in the witness-box, read a ong statement of his movements on hr nights of the alleged offences, and laid he was the victim of mistaken dentity. lie then addressed the jury lie commented on the unreliability ol drcumstantial evidence as recently shown and protested against the name under which he was charged and the carious names under which he was sup cosed to be known being published broadcast in nearly every current news paper, coupled with the fact that liar pld Dorian Trevor was a convicted felon. The Chairman (Mr A. J. Lawric Kf.C.) : I do not think the jury would enow anything about it until you have told them yourself. Trevor: I consider it is extremely un fair that I should be interrupted' and thereby lose the thread of my argu ment. when I am trying to convince the jury that I am not guilty. Chairman: Jam very sorry. I shal try not to interrupt you again. Let the jury bear in mind, said Trevor, the miscarriages of justice thal had occurred in the past few weeks Police evidence, he declared, was no'l worth a snap of the finger. The jury found Trevor guilty on al counts, ami he was then indicted a; being an habitual criminal. He plcadec not guilty. Police evidence was given of convic tions against him in 1911, 1914, anc 1919. upon which he received sentence; of penal servitude.