“NOBLEMAN’S” SON.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17367, 31 March 1928, Page 14 (Supplement)

“NOBLEMAN’S” SON.

TWELVE MONTHS’ HARD LABOUR. FOR THEFT AND FRAUD. Sinclair Travers, aged 46, otherwise Stanley Peters, and Stanley James, 31, otherwise Charles William File, pleaded guilty at the Mansion House, E.C., on February 3 to nine charges of theft and false pretences committed within the last two months. Detective Gunner said Travers was born in South Africa. Both men obtained commissions in the war and were officers in the Royal Air .Force. Mr E. O’Connor, dcifending. said Travers was the son of a well-linown Irish nobleman. He joined up at the outbreak of war. He was severely wounded on the Somme in 1916, and was decorated on the field for conspicuous bravery. He left the Army shattered in health, and it was owing to unemployment he drifted into the offence of stealing £23, for which he was sent to prison for three months. In 1924 he was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for attempted burglary and larceny. When he came but of prison in 1926 he determined to retrieve his character. He • worked his» passage to Australia and then for a long time served on a sheep farm where it was 110 in the*.shade. Overtaken by illness, he came back to this country and, on recovery, worked as a steward and even as watchman in various liners. He was put off through no fault of his own and, after haunting the docks for work and having no money and nothing to do, he slipped back into crime.

James was badly injured in the war and had borne an unexceptional character apart from his association wjth Travers.

Alderman Sir Charles Wakefield said Travers would be sentenced to 12 months’ hard lab mr,’ and if he wanted to run straight' when he came out he (Sir Charles) would sec he had a chance. James was pla'ced on probation.'