MOTOR-CAR BURNED TO GET INSURANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18442, 18 April 1928, Page 4

MOTOR-CAR BURNED TO GET INSURANCE.

CONSPIRACY ADMITTED IN WELLINGTON CASE. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, April 18. How two men conspired to burn a motor-car in order to obtain the insurance, covering their tracks by telling the police that the car had been stolen, was revealed in Court to-day, when Donald Gillies, a plasterer, thirty-one, and John George Furey,' a salesman, nineteen, were charged with having conspired together to defraud the National Insurance Company of £9O. Mr Edgar, manager of the Wellington branch of the insurance company, stated that on January' 21 a proposal form was received from Gillies for the insurance of a car for £9O. This was approved. On the morning of March 28 Gillies told witness that on the previous evening the car had been stolen from Allen Street and the police had been informed of the theft. Gillies came in again to the office on March 30 and told him that the car bad been found destroyed by fire. Acting-Detective Harding said on March 29 he saw a burned car in a gully' at Karori. The next day he interviewed Gillies, who maintained his statement with regard to the theft. After further investigation he again saw Gillies, who asked whether the matter would be kept quiet if he gave up the claim on the company’. Witness told him that further inquiries would have to be made. Gillies then said that he knew who had burned the car and he was not present at the time. He made a statement admitting that he had conspired with Furey to burn the car to get the insurance. Witness went with Gillies to find Furey*, and they met him in Newtown, where Furey admitted burning the car and said that he was to get £5 from Gillies. Mr Keesing. counsel for Furey, asked witness if he knew that Gillies had sometimes hy'pnotised Furey. Witness replied that Furey' had said that was the ca.se. Furey said that he had met Gillies at a spiritualistic church about four years ago. Mr Keesing: Are you prepared to say who was the master mind in this affair? Witness: No. Mr Leicester suggested that Furey r ’s actions were due to live spirits, not dead ones. Both, pleaded guilty and were committed for sentence.