Arrested in Error

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 880, 25 January 1930, Page 18

Arrested in Error

MN extraordinary story of mistaken identity, described by the magistrate as “unfortunate and disastrous,” was revealed at Marlborough Street Police Court when a Mayfair wife appeared in the dock. Mrs. Margaret Frances Chamberlavne, of Bruton Street TV., the wife of Mr. Tankerville Chamberlayne, the head of a well-known Hampshire family, who was accused of fraud, heard’ that the charge against her had been withdrawn. Counsel for Mrs. Chamberlayne said that his client had been placed in a cell, and subjected to all the indignities associated with such a course. Even her finger-prints were taken. Mrs. Chamberlayne subsequently returned to her flat in Mayfair in a state of collapse. Sailing for Africa “I am amazed that such a thing could have happened in any civilised country,” she said to a “Daily Chronicle” representative. “It has been a terribly painful ordeal.” Mrs. Chamberlayne said that the matter was entirely in the hands of her legal advisers. “I am sailing for Africa. The voyage was arranged before this unfortunate happening,” she added. Unknown Woman The charges against Mrs. Chamberlayne, who is a woman of 37 years of age, were that she obtained by false pretences £l6 13s 6d worth of goods on October 5, and £4 7s worth on October 7, from Messrs. Perkins and Co., chemists, of Piccadilly. Mr. H. D. Roome, who appeared for Messrs. A. Tate, Ltd., the owners of the shop, said he desired on their behalf to withdraw the charges, because they had at no time prosecuted in this case. On October 5, said Mr. Roome, a woman called at the shop and ordered articles valued at £6 10s in the name of Major Ormerod, a customer, of Half Moon Street. She represented herself to be his wife. The assistant allowed her to take the goods after she had signed for them in the name of E. D. Ormerod. On the same day a woman went to

Mayfair Woman’s Ordeal

Messrs. Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, and later to Perkins and Harrods and ordered goods in the same way. Complaint was made to the police by Messrs. Perkins, and a description of the woman was given. He understood that a description was also given by Harrods and Harvey Nichols. It was found that at this time Mrs. Tankerville Chamberlayne was the tenant of Major Ormerod’s flat. Major Ormerod being abroad at the time. On his return he disclaimed all knowledge of the goods ordered. The police obtained a warrant against a woman whose name was unknown, merely on the description of the woman given by Messrs. Perkins. Mrs. Chamberlayne was arrested and taken to the police station. She vigorously denied the charge. She was placed among a number of other women. An assistant at Perkins’s failed to identify her, but afterward Mr. Davies, their manager, who had seen her for about a minute on the occasion of the woman's second visit, identified Mrs. Chamberlayne as the woman. Mr. Vernon Gattie (for Mrs. Chamberlayne) said the description given by Davies was one which did not apply to Mrs. Chamberlayne. The woman was about 35 to 40 years of age, of medium height and build, with fair hair. Mrs. Chamberlayne was dark. "Only Justification” On this description the police chose to arrest Mrs. Chamberlayne. None of the three descriptions applied to her in the least, and the only justification for the arrest was that she happened to be the tenant of the flat in Half Moon Street. Mr. Dummett said that Mrs. Chamberlayne had been the victim of an unfortunate and disastrous mistake. “It is wholly unnecessary for me to say that she leaves the court without a stain on her character,” he added, “because it is perfectly obvious that she ought never to have been brought into court on this charge.” An order that Mrs. Chamberlayne’s finger-prints should be destroyed was made.