TURNED TO CRIME.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 940, 9 December 1933, Page 22 (Supplement)

TURNED TO CRIME.

BIRCH FOR FILM ACTOR. Richard David Maxwell, 34, described as a film actor, who said he had appeared with Mr. Jack Hulbert in the film “Falling For You,” was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seventeen months’ hard labour and eighteen strokes of the birch for robbing with violence Miss Eileen O’Connor, at her flat in Gerrard Street, London. Miss O’Connor stated that after Maxwell assaulted her she fainted, and when she recovered Maxwell had gone, and £2, and a German 100 mark note, which was actually of no value, were missing from her handbag. When Maxwell was arrested the German note was found hidden in his socks.

Detectfvc-Sergeant Patterson said that Maxwell, who had previous convictions, was a talented siuger.

“I have known him. for some time in the West End,” he said’. “He is a man of good education. For some years he hatbeen associating with men of the most reprehensible class —some of the worst (types in the West End —thieves, bullies, land racecourse pests.”

Maxwell handed the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) a number of photographs of himself in various films. He said that he had been a radio singer with the Savoy Orpheans.

“I can prove that I have worked at the Savoy Hote T ,” he said, “because you your self (the Recorder) presided at a concert there.”

The Recorder: I plead not guilty to that. (Laughter.) The Recorder said that Maxwell had behaved with barbarity towards Miss O’Connor.