CASE FOR CROWN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 135, 8 May 1940, Page 8

CASE FOR CROWN.

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY. OUTLINE BY COUNSEL. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 7. During his opening ot the case for the Crown m the Supreme Court to-day at the trial of Gordon Percy Aston and Harvey j Maitland Chrystall on conspiracy and other charges arising from the alleged invention of a device to divert torpedoes from ships, Mr W. H. Cunningham said the financial transactions between Sellers and accused started about October 1, 1937, and lasted until July 3, 1939, when Sellers disappeared from Wellington. In that period Sellers paid over to accused about £7OOO. That money was made up from Sellers’s private resources—he was able to overdraw his bank account by £2OO0 —borrowing from friends, and from a guarantee he had arranged for £3700, and £llOO which Sellers misappropriated from the Racing Conference. There was not a single thing in writing to show what consideration or guarantee Sellers had received from accused for the money. The history of the case would seem to divide the transactions into roughly three phases: fir§,t, when Sellers had practically exhausted his private resources and made a few loans; second, when he secured for accused a guarantee account of £3000; and, third, when lie was taking money from the Racing Conference. On June 3 a cheque on the No. 2 Racing Conference Account was handed to one of the accused, said Mr Cunningham. It was cashed several days later in Wellington by Chrystall, who remitted it to Aston’s account in Christchurch. The Racing Conference auditor came into touch with the irregular drawings and a meeting of the committee was held. Chrystall told the committee that accused were taking documents to Sydney and the money due was to he paid over. Sellers was given 14 days to put the accounts in order. On June 16 both accused went to Australia and following a scries of cables by Sellers, Aston returned and Sellers spent a day at the Carlton Hotel with him. He returned to the hotel next morning, July 3, and that was the last day he was seen. Later his body was found on the beach at Ngahauranga. The two accused were not arrested till early in January.' The Crown Prosecutor read a statement made to the police at Nelson on November 1, 1939, by Chrystall and extracts from statements by Aston. Charles Chrystopher Davis, managing director of Davis Gelatine (N.Z.). Ltd., Christchurch, and a director of the Cockatoo Dock and Engineering Co., Sydney, gave evidence on the lines stated bv the Crown Prosecutor. Alexander Cormack Jcssep, barrister and solicitor, of Wellington, described how Nathan in March, 1938, consulted him on a proposed guarantee of on account for Sellers to the extent of £3OOO. Chrystall came to Wellington from Nelson and saw witness with Sellers and explained the alleged invention. Nathan did not enter into the guarantee. Bail was renewed this evening on the same terms as at the lunch adjournment. '