SERIES OF FRAUDS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1929, Page 5

SERIES OF FRAUDS

INSURANCE COMPANIES ~ VICTIMISED.

DOCTOR SENT TO GOAL

SYDNEY, August 1

A remarkable series of frauds on insurance companies, has resulted in the imprisonment for twelve months ,at Perth of David Ewan Campbell McLeod, a medical practitioner. Evidence of false statement connected with a man’s death, and frauds involving the creation of fictitious insurers and claimants, and fictitious accidents were given. In all there were three charges to which McLeod pleaded guilty. To a fourth charge, that of uttering a (false document, alleged to be an information paper for the registration of deaths,'to register the "death of Russia Hester, a Baptist minister he pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence.

It was stated in Court that the accused arrived in Western Australia in June last and presented to the local Medical Association a diploma of the (British Medical Association, and was registered as a practitioner and com-'' menced practice at Corrigan. In regard to the supposed death of Russia Hester, evidence/was given by the District Registrar at Beverley that on December 20th lie received an information paper setting . out that Hester died near a homestead in the Northern: territory. The paper was signed by McLeod, while David Dyer was said to 'have buried Hester, and M. L. Jones to'have officiated at the graveside as a Baptist minister. An accompanying letter said that McLeod had treated Hester for tuberculosis; and had advised him to go to a dry climate. The letter said that after the death had been reported the Registrar at Darwin told McLeod to take up the matter with the nearest police station. A detective gave evidence that he searched the accused’s residence and found an insurance policy on the life of Hester for 5000 dollars with the Home Life and Accident Company of Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A., naming Florence H. Hester, wife of Hester, as the beneficiary. ■ He also found an insurance policy with the Western Australian Assurance Company on the life of D. Dwyer, of Corrigan, a policy covering accidental death and disablement in the name of McLeod, with the Commercial Union Assurance Company of Perth; a reference to Dr McLeod ■from R. H. Hester, from Jacksonville, Florida; an ordination certificate for Russia Hester from .the Baptist Church at Dunqueen, Arkansas, dated April 15th, 1906. McLeod had told him that Hester was his brother-in-law in America, and that he was minding his paers for him. Accused wrote two letters to the Registrar at Darwin. The first asked that the death should be registered, and the second that it should not be. McLeod said that Dyer telegraphed to him that Hester had died. Enquiries showed that Dyer, Hyde, and Jones were not known in the Norseman district, where Hester was supposed to have died. Enquiries were then set on foot for Hester, and although these were carried out throughout the Commonwealth they brought no result.