COCAINE SMUGGLING

Hokitika Guardian, 10 January 1929, Page 8

COCAINE SMUGGLING

FRENCH GIRL’S STORY. £IO,OOO DEMAND CHARGE. FLAT SCENE DISCLOSURES. LONDON, Nov. 12. A story of an alleged offer of £3,000 to handle cocaine was told at Roxliill, Sussex', yesterday when Marie Louise Berthe Jacquin, aged 21, a French girl, was charged on remand with attempting to obtain £lO- - from 'Mr Edwin John Paxton, her former employer, by threatening him with a loaded revolver.

Mr Paxton previously stated that when the girl left the house, where she had been housekeeper, he gave her £I,OOO. On Octobr 31 she appeared at his flat in Bexhill with a foreign-look-ing man and said: "If you don’t pay me £IO,OOO I will shoot you.” By a ruse he got away from them and ran to the police. Mr Leighton, prosecuting, said that Mr Paxton saw Jacquin two or three times on the sea-front at Bexhill in July 1927. In the following month he found in his car a message that Jacquin would be in a particular place at a certain time. His curiosity got the better of his good sense and he went to see her. There were two or three interviews. She gave him something of her history —that she had had a child, that she nad been cast off by her parents, and that generally she was in a somewhat desperate condition.

Mr Paxton told her that if she was so hard pressed she had Letter act as his housekeeper. The suggestion was .jumped at by the woman, and in the following month she took up residence with him there at a salary of £6 a month.

She continued to live with him until March or April last, but relations became strained because she was always uneasy and unhappy when she was not with him. He therefore told her that she had better look for another situation.

‘ ‘ UNFORT UNATE LIAISON. ’ ’ To make sure that he would be rid of this incubus, which lie had foolishly taken on himself, Mr Paxton agreed to pay her £I.OOO on condition that sho feft the country, and sho wrote down the heads of an agreement as follows: T, M. L. Berthe Jacquin, agree to leave Bexhill on July 23, 1925, on the understanding that Air E. J. Paxton 'fives me the sum of £I,OOO. I also agree that I will not molest him or interfere with him in any way what:ver. . .and will never make any claims igainst him and that I shall he responsible for all the debs that I have incurred. The reason that Air. Paxton wanted the matter settled at that moment, coniiiued Air Leighton, was that lie had a laughter who was anxious to stay with him, of course it was impossible for her to come while Jacquin was about the premises. The agreement was properly drawn up by Air Paxton’s solicitor, Air H. Grafter, the money was paid, and Air Paxton hoped that that would he the and of the unfortunate liaison. The girl went back to France. air Leighton concluded by describing the scene in the flat on October 31, when, it was alleged, the girl produced a revolver, loaded it, and demanded -MO,OOO.

GIRL’S ALLEGED STATEMENT. P.C. Cottinghafn said that Jacquin made the following voluntary statement lo him before she was charged: I arrived from Franco on October 28 last and stayed at Hastings. I came to Bex hill to see Mr Paxton. . . . There was another man, a .Frenchman, Jean Mariaui. Mr Paxon asked me if I wood pass cocaine. He said : will give you £1,000.” I. said, “No.” lie said, “I will give you £2,000.” and 1 said “No.” He said, “I will give you £3,000.” 1 said “No.” He then said. “Now be careful of your life.” We came out of his house and went to the garage. He put on a light and said, “Now you can come in.” ITe •iosed the door, put out the light, and ;aid, “Is it your last word?” He asked me not to report to the police, but 1,0 go back to France. AVe left the garage and he asked me to come alone home.

When we were near the Metropolc Motel he pushed a loaded revolver into my hand, pushed me into the road, and ran away screaming. The revolver belongs to Mr Paxton. 1 saw him buy it in Roulonge for 1,000 1 rapes. ... 1 atn not afraid of this man.

AEROPLANE TRIP. Mr W. S. Gildcrslecvc proprietor of tlie Melropole Hotel, Hastings, said that Jacquin and a Frenchman aged about 27 arrived there on October 28 and took two single rooms. They said they came from Franco l>y aeroplane. Mr AV. JL Frampton (defending): Did lie speak English?—l cannot say, The girl did all the talking. Air Gildcrslecvc said that after going out with the girl on October 31 the man returned alone at 2 u.m. and he left the same day at 8.50 a.in. -Air Paxton, recalled, said that he had never seen cocaine, other than liquid cocaine at the dentist’s, and he had never olfered Jacquin or anybody else money to pass cocaine, it was untrue that he bought revolver in -Boulogne. A “JOKE.” Air Frampton: Did you persuade her to go to your homo?—Not exactly. F mentioned something about a house-

keeper more in joke than in anything else. Was il, your suggestion to avoid difficulty with the alien authorities that she should register herself as your housekeeper?—No. Air Paxton said that after Jacquin returned to France lie wrote about a dozen letters to her and she wrote to him. .Or Eranipton : WJiat arc you?—l have ho occupation. Air Framptou asked what Air Paxion’s income was, but Air Leighton objected. Air Paxton: You can easily iiml out I have done nothing for three years. Air Leighton gave an undertaking that letters from Jacquin to Air Paxion would he‘produced at a later stage. Air Framptou pleaded not guilty on behalf of Jacquin and reserved her defence. She was committed for trial at tiie Sussex Assizes.

Air Kranipton said a man at the French Consulate was prepared to stand as surety for her up to £IOOO hail but bail was refused.