A LONDON SENSATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19346, 27 June 1925, Page 5

A LONDON SENSATION

A NOTED SOLICITOR SENT TO GAOL. AN ASSOCIATE OF THIEVES AND ROBBERS. LONDON, June 25. “The Court is satisfied that you. las an experienced solicitor of the High Court for years, have associated with a gang of daring and dangerous thieves and mail-bag robbers.” said’Mr Justice Salter at the Old Bailey, in sentencing to three years’ imprisonment Charles Sharman, aged 75, a well-known London solicitor, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to ste'al and receive mailbags ’ contents land to forgery. i Mr Justice Salter continuing, said: “The robbers acquired a mass of valuable securities which would have been of little use without your assistance in disposing of the booty. You sold them 'all over Europe and in America in false names, not hesitating at forgery when necessary. lam told that you have been continuously and heavily blackmailed. but thieves often blackmail one another.” It os urged in mitigation that accused was largely responsible for the recovery of £9O 000 worth of bonds from Antwerp. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PRACTICES IN LONDON. LONDON, June 25. ' The Daily Express says that Sharman had one of the largest practices in criminal cases in London. He was solicitor for the defence in many notable trials, and was a prominent churchman and office-bearer. Al any local authorities believed that Sharman received over £20,000 as his share of the thefts, which commenced in 1921. The actual value of securities istolen was hundreds of thousands, but manv were unrealisable. During the early investigations Sharman had visited the Post Office authorities and said that he had learm-d that a foreigner who was his exact double was cashing stolen securities on the Continent. He was cordially thanked, and no breath of suspicion rested on him.