FINED FOR BRIBERY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 574, 4 July 1933, Page 7

FINED FOR BRIBERY

SEVERE PUNISHMENT EX-ALDERMAN RUINS CAREER BY RASH ACTION. PLEA OF GUILTY. For offences against the Prevention of Corfuption Acts an Eastbourne exalderm'an; a eohipany and twb other individual defendants "were fined a total of £llbb at Eastbourne, .Engiand, a f ew weeks ago. In addition, the conipany was ordsred to pay £682 10s toward the eost of the proseeution. The nragistrates deeided to deal with the case ^ummarily, f ollowing an intiniation that the Director of Public Proseeution offered no objections to that eourse. All the defendants tben plead'ed guilty to the summonses against them, excepting those alleging conspiracy, which the proseeution withdrew. ! The chairman, Mr. A. Dilloway, announced that* the maigistrates f-elt th'at the ends of |ustice would be met by tbe imposition of the maximum amounts of fines. Aecused and the fines imposed were: Pirelli General Cable Works, Ltd., Euston Road, London, £550 (£50 on each of 11 summonses), and to pay £682 10s towards prosecution's costs. Oharles MeCarthy Read, officer of defendant company, £50 or three months' imprisomnent. Diayid W. A. Roberts, formerly de-puty-electrical enginieer to ihe Borough Gouneil, £250 or six months' imprisonment. Richard Spencer Ghatfield, ex-alder_ man, £250 or six months' imprisonment. It was alleged that between January, 1980, and November, 1931, the company gave the use of a car to Chatfield, then chairman. of the Electricity Committee, as an inducement to him to show f avour to the company in connection with electricity contracts; four isums totalling £53 5s 6d to GhatfieM and four sums -totalling £80 to Roberts as inducements to show favour. ' Chatfield and Roberts wiere accused of accepting these sums as inducements to show favour and Chatwith accepting tbe use of the car. The company was further charged with knowingly giving to Roberts a document an estimate alleged to contain statements defective in materiial pantieulars and intended to imislead the Borough Council. Roberts was charged with the alleged use of* this document with intent to deceive the council. The company and Read were accused of giving Roberts a set of documents (three letters) alleged to be defective in material particulars, and which to thsir knowledge were intended, to mislead. Mr. Cassels, who appeared for the proseeution, said the company was regarded as the worst offender. By reason of their financial position and the power they were able to yneld, they have very largely contributed. to the commission of these very serious offences," counsel added. Statements by Counsel. Sir Henry' Cnrtis-Bennett, K.C., Who appeared for the company, said: "It is nat sugges-ted and caimot be silggested that the work which was done by this company wia:s bad work at the p.x-nense of ratepayers. UnfortUnate-

ly things have. spxung np wUicn ougm not to have heen allowed. The whole of this company and the departments had heen absolutely overhanled so that any matter of this sort can never tia;ke place in thi© future. _ ■On behalf of Read, Sir Henry said that the defendant was 57_ years oi age, married with three children, o sort of offence had heen alleged against him before. Ha worked upon a fixed salary and got nothing by way of commission. Anything he did he did in the interests of his company m atteanpting to ohtain work, bnt he got nothinig by way of reward. Mr. John Flowers, K.C., for defendant Roberts, pointed out that the latter, too, had an excellent character. He was 49, married with oue son. He had heen in the service of the oorporation for 19 years and was a.most zealous servant. "Roberts asks me to express to the Bench his sorrow that he did take wrong means in carrying out his enthusiastic desires on behalf of the corporabion," ladded Mr. Flowers "A 1-ife's work, a reputation, a good salary and his character are gone, for a miserahle £80, Mr G D. Roberts, who appeared for Chatfield, said. "It is impossikle to imiagine a greater trag^dy than that which has befallen Mr. Chatfield. He has had an exceptional career. He stanted in a somewhat small _way and has by his own determiniation and istrength of character become at th'e age of 43 one of the leading townsmen of Eastbourne." Entirely False Position. Defendant was a railway enginedriver and in his spare time identified himself with the borough's municipal activities. It was acknowledged that for the development of the eleetncal undentaking in Eastbourne Mr Chatfield had heen largely responsible. He confessed that for about 20 months he did avail himself of a motor car which belonged to the company and that he received sums from the company laimounting to £40 or £50 with regard to the maintenance and upkeep of the car. He denies any other chargies mad 6 against him. ^ tq& lises now what an entirely false posi,tion he put himself into when, as chairman oi the Electricity Committee ,he availed himself of the offer of the use of the car. _ +4. . Mr. Roberts added that Mr. Chatfield denied, and always would deny, that the ratepayers had been prejudiced m any way by what he did. "He stomk; before you with his career shattetred. As far as he knows, the result of this iwill be that he Will lose his employment after.27! years. ,