| Description | Case of the crown against Herbert Alfred Bennett for theft and fraudulent accounting held first at the Borough Police Court at the Guildhall in Nov 1923 and then at the Cambridge at the Winter Assizes at Shire Hall in Jan 1924. Bennett, of 7 St Clement Gdns, worked as an assistant overseer and a senior clerk in the Borough Accountants Office. The case showed how Bennett split cheques and credited money intended for the Overseers of the Poor to the Corporation and visa versa to balance the books at the end of the financial year to cover his activities. Two separate cases against Bennett were prosecuted, once on behalf of the Corporation and a second on behalf of the Overseers of the Poor. As the same exhibits and evidence were used to prosecute both cases most exhibits are labeled with two exhibit numbers, one for charges 1-12 for the case of the Overseers and charges 13-17 for the case of the Corporation. Following Bennett's conviction the Overseers of the Poor sought legal advice to see if they could reclaim poor rates credited to the Borough Fund by Bennett back from the Corporation. Formerly bundle 217. |