Surprise Charge in £4,700 Appeal

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 37, 13 February 1937, Page 3

Surprise Charge in £4,700 Appeal

“FoRGED"—SAtfS K.C. Allegations that “most amazing information” against a woman had been received since a £4,719 award to her for malicious prosecution w'ero mado in the Appeal Court, London, recently. Count-er-charges were made on tho woman’s behalf that this information had been forged. Sir Patrick Hastings, K.C., sought leave to call further evidence for the appeal by Mr Phillip Lazarus, J.P., and his sou Adolph, calico printers, Bury Old road, Salford. At Manchester Assizes in July they were ordered to pay £4,719 damages for malicious prosecution to M.rs Frances Irene Lowick, who was formerly in their employ. He exx>lained that Mrs Lowick, who was 21, had been employed by them as a clerk. On October, 1935, they prosecuted her for forgery. A comparatively small sum of about £l7O, with the cheques which wero tho subject of the charge, was mentioned, but in effect tho amount was about £I,OOO. There was no evidence at all as to what had been done by her after she as supposed to have had that money. In the circumstances the magistrate dismissed the information. Thereuponshe brought her action for malicious prosecution. “Since tho hearing most amazing information has come into tho possession of the men,” said Sir Patrick. “Information has como from a dressshop—their books have been seen by the solicitor, Mr Kershaw, who is instructing me—that between April, 1935, and April, 193 G, this girl bought from them £651 worth of clothes. She was arrested in October, 1935. “Between April 26, 1935, and October 11, 1935, when she left tho Lazarus’s employment, sho had paid on account of her indebtedness £4OO. ‘ ‘She had paid for her clothes always in £1 notes within a day or so of the dates of the alleged forgery of the individual cheques. “In addition,” said Sir Patrick, “somebody went into a pawnbroker’s in Manchester on December 4, 1935, and took with her two w'rist watches and one diamond ring on which about £2O w r as advanced. They were pledged in the name of Beatrice Charters, a young woman in the employment of the dress skop. “Beatrice Charters says no jewellery of hers was jiledged at all and that she knows nothing about it. “Pledging notes have been inspected and Mr Kershaw states they are clearly in tho handwriting of Mrs Lowick.” Mr E. G. Hcmmerde, K.C. (for Mrs Lowick), said: “We heard oi this new ‘evidence only on Friday, but our case will be that these books that are supposed to convict Mrs Lowick are forged and have been forged since that verdict was given so as to meet a desperate situation.

“Mrs Lowick will tell you that the very people who are now coming forward are people who within a week of tho verdict asked her to put £2,000 of her damages in their business. “I shall probably went to submit certain writing in these books to a very famous expert in London W’ho will be able to tell tho dates of the writing.” Lord Justice Greer adjourned tho application.