BUSINESSMAN PETER WHITELAND-SMITH WAS ACQUITTED ON

BUSINESSMAN PETER WHITELAND-SMITH WAS ACQUITTED ON
MONDAY FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE IN A ‘SOPHISTICATED FRAUD’ INVOLVING
OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION POUNDS.

JUDGE MICHAEL COOK DIRECTED THE JURY TO RETURN A VERDICT
OF NOT GUILTY BECAUSE THERE WAS ‘INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE’ TO PROVE
THE CASE AGAINST WHITELAND-SMITH.

THE 52-YEARS-OLD CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT WAS ACCUSED OF
CONSPIRING WITH OTHERS TO NET #282,000 FROM COUNTERFEIT CHEQUES.

BUT WHEN WHITELAND-SMITH WAS TOLD BY THE BANKS THAT TWO
CHEQUES EACH WORTH #48,000 WERE FORGERIES, HE WENT TO THE POLICE
AND OFFERED HIS HELP CLAIMING HE WAS AN ‘INNOCENT DUPE,’
SOUTHWARK CROWN COURT HEARD.

THE COURT HEARD WHITELAND-SMITH AND CO-DEFENDANT ROBERT
LANCASTER SET UP A TRUST FUND IN THE ISLE OF MAN WHICH WAS TO
HANDLE MONEY FROM BUSINESSMAN WISHING TO ESCAPE HEAVY TAX BILLS.

IT WAS THEN ALLEGED THE FORGERIES WERE PASSED THROUGH
THE TRUST AND PUT INTO CLIENT ACCOUNTS.

AFTER HE RECEIVED THE SECOND #48,000 CHEQUE WHITELAND-
SMITH ALLEGEDLY TOLD LANCASTER THAT IT WOULD BE ‘BETTER IF WE
TERMINATED OUR MUTUAL INTEREST.

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WHITELAND-SMITH, OF PRIMROSE COTTAGE, SULBY, ISLE OF
MAN, HAD PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO OBTAIN THE MONEY BY
DECEPTION BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND JUNE 25 LAST YEAR.

LANCASTER, 44, A COMMODITY BROKER, OF BUCKLAND THORPE
BAY, SOUTHEND, WHO DENIES THE SAME CHARGE, IS STILL ON TRIAL.

ENDS.

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