GUILTY OF FRAUD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 May 1940, Page 6

GUILTY OF FRAUD

CHRYSTALL SENTENCED REFORMATIVE DETENTION FOR TWO YEARS. MR JUSTICE SMITH'S DECISION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Harvey Maitland Chrystall, who appeared before Mr Justice Smith in the Supreme Court this morning, was sentenced to two years” reformative detention. When Chrystall appeared in the Supreme Court yesterday, his counsel, Mr W. E. Leicester submitted that if the judge felt there were unusual circumstances about the ease, it was one in which the Court might consider probation.

Chrystall was found guilty by a jurylast week on one charge of conspiracy by deceit to defraud, two of false pretences, two of attempted false pretences and one of receiving. The jury recommended that leniecy be extended to him.

Mr Leiceister yesterday called Leslie Goldfinch, company manager, who said in evidence that some nine years ago Chrystall leased a flaxmill from him for the processing of flax and worked on that for two years. Witness considered the samples of processed flax shown to him had no feasibility commercially. Witness said he formed the conclusion Chrystall was commercially irresponsible. There was a suggestion of secrecy underlying the process, and some provision was taken to prevent people from looking inside the mill. Money did not seem to enter into the transaction.

Addressing the Court, Mr Leicester said the case of Chrystall presented a problem he had not encountered before. Aston was the dominating personality, and this ascendancy of mind on the part of Aston over Chrystall did throw light over some of the more obscure phases of Chrystall’s conduct. The actions of Chrystall did not present the pursuit of wealth; they presented throughout the period a flight from reality. Counsel read a testimony from the registrar of Christ’s College, Mr A. E. Flower, who said Chrystall’s character was that of a transparently honest boy and man. He had been nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship at Canterbury College though he did not have a degree. He had been captain of the first fifteen and first eleven at Christ’s College, Canterbury College, and again at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Mr Leicester said Chrystall saw service at Gallipoli, where he was shellshocked, and after being for some time in hospital in England served in France. He returned to New Zealand and served on the Lyttelton Harbour Board, the chamber of commerce and the automobile association. Then he set up as a consulting engineer. Having asked a number of questions of Mr Leicester, Mr Justice Smith said he would take time to consider what counsel had said, and remanded Chrystall until today.