ALLEGED CONVERSION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 691, 17 November 1933, Page 6

ALLEGED CONVERSION

policeman involved BET~T --"w -•„» — DifcPUTY-CHIEF CONS TABLE FACES FOURTEEN CHARGES MANY ALREADY PROVED — London, October 13. Superintendent William Jones, formerly Deputy-Chief constable of Glamorgan, faced fourteen new charges whenlie made his seventh appearance at Bridgend Police court yesterday. Last week the magistrate decided that a prima facie case had been proved in respect of twenty-one charges .alleging that Jones had converted to his cfwn use £816, the money of Glamorgan Police Athletic Club. J ones was now accused of the f raudulent conversion of estate funds of which he was trustee. The first charge was that at Cardiff, while he was trustee of £649 for the benefit of Gwenllian Georgina, Henrietta and Henry Rees, children of late Henry George Alldridge, he converted the money to his own use. Thirteen similar charges were said to involve £2,266. The period covered by them was from June, 1929, of June, 1933. Mr. Temple Morris, prosecuting, said that it was difficult to find words which would adequately describe Jones' treachery and wickedness with regard to these charges. A more flagrant breach of trust could not be imagined. Appointed an Executor Accused was a friend of Henry George Alldridge, who made a will appointing him one of his executors. Before Mr. Alldridge's death another executor died, so that Jones became sole executor of the will. Mr. Alldridge left two daughters and a son \aged 14, and he bequeathed the whole of his property to him. The estate consisted of money in banks at Port Talbot, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Penarth, amounting to £1500, War Loan stock of the value of £400, and other property, including a number of houses. The cash, the war stock and the deeds were at the sole disposal of Jones. Within eleven days of obtaining probate on June 18, 1929, he helped himself to £981, with which he bought himself a bungalow at Porthcawl. Other money he put in his own pocket. He also transferred various sums from the estate funds into his own banking account, telling the bank manager a tissue of lies. It was alleged that he drew £189 and £158 to repay Mr. John Hopkins and Mr. Rees Rees, a magistrate of the county, who had lent him money. Later Mrs. Eliztbeth Hopkins, the mother of Mr. John Hopkins, lent Jones £150. When she obtained judgment Jones went to the bank, said that the money was required for estate purposes, and, with the money he reeeived from the manager, repaid Mrs. Hopkins. Jones, on whose behalf a plea of not guilty was entered, was committed for trial.