TWO MEN SENTENCED

Evening Post, Issue 28, 1 August 1936, Page 6

TWO MEN SENTENCED

DOUBLE COMPENSATION

"Unfortunately many safeguards to the Workers Compensation Act have become necessary to protect it against the possibility of fraud,;: said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., when Jack Pohl, a carpenter, aged 22, and Patrick William Sheehy, a mechanic, aged 22, appeared before him in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. "The actions of you two men will probably result in safeguards being made, and genuine claimants will suffer in consequence. It is the duty of this. Court to impose exemplary sentences to let you and anyone else, similarly minded, know what will happen."

The two men each pleaded guilty to charges of drawing what was termed "double compensation money." Pohl received two years' reformative detention and Sheehy nine months' imprisonment on the. first charge, and on the second both were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon.

They were arrested by Detective S. C. Browne, following complaints from shipping companies, and were charged jointly. Mr. R. Hardie Boys appeared for the accused and Detective-Ser-geant L. B. Revcll conducted the prosecution.

Facts placed before the Court and statements given by the accused to the police showed that on April 24 Pohl was injured while working on a steamer and certified as unfit for work. Sheehy received an injury to a thumb while working on the Parera, on which he was employed under the name of Spiers. He received a doctor's certificate stating he was, unfit for work, and this was taken to his employers by Pohl, who represented himself as Sheehy. Pohl collected insurance money totalling £31 17s during the nine weeks. When the company asked the. man to be examined by another doctor, Sheehy went. When Pohl called at the shipping company he had his hand bandaged. Sheehy went to work on the Taupata under the name of Wicks, and on May 8 again injured his thumb. The same procedure was adopted, and Pohl collected £25 Bs.