Southport Man Accused
Transcript of article from the Lancashire Daily Post concerning Frank Berisford
Girl Secretary Also in Court
£10,000 Mentioned
A Southport man and his secretary appeared on remand at Liverpool Police Court today, concerned together and individually in 90 charges of fraud on a bank, said to involve over £10,000.
Frank Berisford (48), of Rawlinson Road, Southport, trading as Frank Berisford and Co, of 42 Stanley Street, Liverpool, dried fruit merchants, and his private secretary, Miss Muriel Finch (27), of Yew Tree Road, Walton, Liverpool, were accused of conspiring to cheat and defraud Martins Bank Ltd. of certain sums of money, and of conspiring together to obtain by false pretences credit at Martins Bank.
Mr JR Bishop, prosecuting, said the first charge was one of general conspiracy against both defendants, and the second charge one of conspiracy to obtain credit by fraud. There were 26 charges against Berisford of fraudulent conversion as a trustee, and 64 charges of obtaining credit under false pretences with a corresponding number against Finch for aiding and abetting.
Both accused were arrested on the first charge upon a warrant in the middle of November last, and since then, as a result of investigation by bank officials, the additional charges had been added.
Loans From Bank
In October 1929, Berisford opened an account with Martins bank in Liverpool. He had a personal account and also an account in the name of Frank Berisford and Co. Berisford’s business required loans from the bank, and from time to time he would open advance accounts on shipments of fruit, undertaking to have the goods warehoused in the name of the bank. There was an understanding that immediately the goods were sold the money was to be paid into the bank account.
“He has failed in that respect,” said Mr Bishop. “There are a number of cases where he has sold goods and not paid the money into the account, in fact, not into Martins Bank at all”.
In 1932 Berisford transferred his warehouse business to a small concern, and his action at the time was criticised by the bank. From that time a large quantity of goods which defendant hypothecated to the bank were stored with this concern.
Following the issue of a delivery order on warehoused goods the bank would expect the money to be paid into the advance account. It appeared, however, that goods had been sold without the bank knowing anything about it. When investigations were being made, inspection of the warehouse revealed nothing but a few cases which might bring in a few hundred pounds.
In Full Control
Miss Finch had been with Berisford for a considerable time, and she had authority from the bank to deal in the name of the firm. For one period when the defendant is away ill she had full control of the business for three or four months, and must have been fully alive to the business that was going on.
The clearest cases of deceit arose in connection with renewals, said Mr Bishop. It was common for the advance account to be renewed from time to time, but before renewal was allowed by the bank a form had to be filled in giving the value of the merchandise stored in the bank’s name.
Time after time, Berisford and Finch had filled in forms of that kind with information which they knew to be false. Particulars were given of goods in the warehouse which they knew had been sold.
Evidence in support of the charges was given by Mr Augustus Frederick Armstrong, West Albert Road, Liverpool, manager of the cotton and produce department of Martins Bank, Water Street, Liverpool.
Date: 2-Jan-1935
Where to find this: British Newspaper Archive
Contributed by Durham County Record Office
