ALLEGED FRAUDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1940, Page 6

ALLEGED FRAUDS

CONSPIRACY AND OTHER CHARGES AGAINST G. P. ASTON & H. M. CHRYSTALL. SUPREME COURT HEARING OPENED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' . WELLINGTON, This Day. The trial of Gordon Percy Aston and Harvey Maitland Chrystall, on conspiracy and other charges arising from the alleged invention of a device to divert torpedoes from ships, was begun in the Supreme Court today before Mr Justice Smith and a jury. The joint charges against the accused were that between October 1, 1937 and July 3, 1939, at Wellington and in other places in New Zealand, they conspired by deceit to defraud Hartley Roy Sellers of sums of money totalling about £6795 Is 9d; that that between March 9, 1938, and June 21, 1938, by falsely representing that they, as coowners, had sold to the British Admiralty a secret invention, capable of diverting torpedoes from ships, for £280,000, they obtained, by means of an agreement made by that false pretence with Edward Augustine Batt, sums totalling £2094 4s fid; that on or about June 3, 1939, they stole a cheque for £750 drawn on the New Zealand Racing Conference No. 2 Account at the Bank of Australasia, Wellington, the property of the Racing Conference; that on or about June 3, 1939. at Wellington, they received a cheque for £750 drawn on the Racing Conference account, well knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained; that; on the same day, by falsely' representing themselves as co-owners of an alleged invention and that they were required by the Admiralty to clear a mortgage oil' a property at Nelson known as The Hut. they obtained from Sellers a cheque for £750 drawn cn the Racing Conference account; that on or about October 12, 1937, at Christchurch, by falsely representing themselves as co-owners of an. alleged invention. they attempted to obtain £5OO from Charles Christopher Davis; that on or about March 5, 1938, at Wellington. by means of the same false pretence, they attempted to obtain £".000 from Hubert Louis Nathan. Both the accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr W. H. Cunningham, is. conducting the prosecution, with him Mr W. R. Birks., Aston is represented by Mr D. W. Russell, Christchurch, and Chrystall by Mr W. E. Leicesger, with him Mr R. T. Peacock.

Mr Cunningham said the case would probably occupy the whole of the present week and probably a day or two next, week, with which statement the defence agreed. The Judge told the jury they would be accommodated in a hotel and the Court adjourned to enable the jurors to make the necessary arrangements.