EMINENT SURGEON SACRIFICES ALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18508, 7 July 1928, Page 5

EMINENT SURGEON SACRIFICES ALL.

“ LAMENTABLE ” AFFAIR WITH CLERGYMAN’S WIFE

(Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, June 1. “He sacrificed his income ” —which had been a steady £SOOO a year—" his name, his career, reputation and honoured position, for this lamentable infatuation. He admits that he is to blame, but does not desire the slightest aspersion to be cast on Mrs Irwin, who is the dearest person in the world to him.”

In these words counsel described the downfall of George Henry Poolev, aged sixty, an ophthalmic surgeon, who. with Mrs Theresa Ritchie Irwin, aged thirtyseven, pleaded guilty at the London Sessions to a charge of fraudulently obtaining credit for about £33 from the own-

ers of a London flat. Pooley also pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining credit without disclosing that he was an undischarged bankrupt. The police evidence showed that there were no previous convictions against either of the accused.

Mrs Irwin, a clergyman s wife, living apart from her husband for a considerable time, became Pooley's secretary, after being his patient at Sheffield, where Pooley, a highly esteemed and distinguished" surgeon, held oificial posts from AjJril, 1927, till March, 1928, when he was arrested. Pooley and Mrs Irwin travelled the country, staying at first-class hotels, and incurred bills which have since been paid by their friends and relations. They, were arrested on account of a worthless cheque offered to the manager of a flat in London by Pooley. The latter’s counsel suggested that Pooley’s mind became unbalanced through overwork. He had performed miracles of skin grafting during the war, His patients including a shellshocked and blinded solicitor, whose eyesight he partially restored. ’ Poolev’s friends are anxious to help him to start afresh in another country, and the judge postponed sentence on the surgeon pending a medical report. He postponed sentence for three months in the case of Mrs Irwin, whom he released on her own recognisances.