CONVICTED IN ERROR

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1931, Page 3

CONVICTED IN ERROR

MAN RECEIVES COMPENSATION. AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE. The Gold Coast Government, through the Crown Agents for the Colonies, have pai c ] to Mr T. Boevoy Barrett, the victim of an extraordinary miscarriage of justice, a sum which lie lias accepted as final compensation in respect of his wrongful conviction and sentence of three years’ imprisonment with hard labour passed on him at Accra in 1921. ■ Of this compensation it is stated that £SOOO is solatium for Mr Bar-*, rett’s imprisonment. In addition, lie lias received a further sum towards definite financial losses arising out of his conviction and imprisonment.

Stirred Public Opinion. This brings to an end the public part of the proceedings in a case which stirred public opinion profoundly last year. Mr Barrett, an old Dulwich College boy, and in early manhood a London business man, went through the Boer War with the G.T.V.’s and when th (? Great War broke out joined the forces at once, though ho was 45 and had a young family. In 1918 Mr Barrett established .i business on the Gold Coast as practically a “one-man” limited eoYiipanv. No one but himself put any moimv into it or had an y stake in it, and after some time the company declared a dividend and. bonus.

Later other people joined the. company and some time afterwards, Mr Barrett resigned his directorship, and the company was wound up. Thereupon he was arrested and charged with obtaining the- bonus by false pretences.

Profits in the Company. Although it was clear that nobody but Mr Barrett, himself had paid for any shares or had had any financial stake' in the company, either during the time when the profits were earned or at the date when the bonus was declared, and although his personalrecord was unexceptionable, lie .was convicted. The local courts also refused leave to appeal, and Mr • Barrett went to prison. It, took six years of hard work by Mr A. L. Bryden, a London solicitor, before a free pardon was granted to -Mr Barrett last year. He has since returned to London to rejoin his fain iI.V, and is now in business there as a w.’.ie and spirit merchant.