Appeal Court, 2nd May, 1939.
Appeals from convictions by High
Court.
Charges under section~
421 and 390 of
Criminal Code discussed
Duplicity and alternative
charges-Substitution of verdict
under section 11 (2) of
West African Court of Appeal
Ordinance.
Held: Where there is evidence of
a false pretence and not of a
fraudulent trick or device the
Court should exercise its power
under section 59 (2) of the
Criminal Procedure Ordinance and
should convict under section 419
where accused has been charged
under section 421.
Held further: That the charge of
stealing under section 390
should have been treated as
alternative to first count under
section 421 and not as bad for
duplicity.
Held further: That persons
convicted of principal offence
of obtaining by false pretences
should not also be convicted
under section 430.
Convictions of 1st and 3rd
accused under section 421 set
aside and verdict of guilty
under section 419 substituted.
Convictions of 1st and 3rd
accused under section 430
quashed. Appeals of 2nd and 4th
accused dismissed.
There is no need to set out the
facts.
E. Hallinan
for Crown. Appellants in person.
The following joint judgment was
delivered ;-
BUTLER LLOYD, AG. C.J., NIGERIA,
GRAHAM PAUL AND BROOKE, JJ.
The four appellants were charged
on three counts :(1) Cheating,
contra. Sec. 421 c.c.
(2) Stealing, contra. Sec. 390
C.C.
(3) Being persons suspected of
having stolen goods contra. Sec.
430 C.C.
The learned Judge in the Court
below found the first and third
accused guilty on the first
count and all four accused
guilty on the third count. As
regards the second count the
learned Judge held that it would
not lie as .. Being bad for
duplicity consisting of a
similar act to that of the first
charge."
The first and third accused have
appealed against their
convictions on the 1st and 3rd
counts and all four accused have
appealed against their
convictions on the 3rd count.
The learned Judge believed the
evidence of the complainant
Petrus Epanya as to how he came
to part with £200 and not
havingseen or heard the
witnesses we are not prepared to
hold that the learned Judge was
wrong in believing the
complainant.
Accepting the complainant's
evidence however we find that it
discloses nothing which could be
described as a .. fraudulent
trick or device", and we think
that the learned Judge was wrong
in convicting the 1st and 3rd
accused under section 421 of the
Criminal ,Code. It is however in
our opinion clear that there was
a .. false pretence" as defined
in section 418 of the Criminal
Code by the 1st accused and that
by that false pretence the 1st
and,3rd accused with intent to
defraud did induce the
complainant to deliver to them
the sum of £200.
On the evidence of the
complainant it is we think clear
that the 1st and 3rd accused
were guilty of an offence under
section 419 of the Criminal
Code.
We are also of opinion that the
learned Judge, with the charge
of stealing before him, ought to
have treated it as an
alternative charge to the first
count and not as bad for
duplicity. So treating the
second count the learned Judge
on the second count, believing
as he did the evidence of the
complainant could-and in our
opinion should-have found the
1st and 3rd accused guilty of an
offence under section 419.
Section 59 (2) of the Criminal
Procedure Ordinance in our
opinion gave the Judge power to
do this.
It follows that under section 11
(2) of the West African Court of
Appeal Ordinance this Court
can-and in our opinion-should,
instead of allowing the appeals
of the 1st and 3m accused,
substitute for the verdict found
by the Judge on the 1st count as
against 1st and 3rd accused a
verdict under the second count
of guilty of an offence under
section 419 of the Criminal
Code. We do accordingly
substitute that verdict. Having
so substituted that verdict we
pass on the 1st accused a
sentence of eighteen months
Imprisonment with Hard Labour
and on the 3rd accused a
sentence of two years
Imprisonment with Hard Labour.
As regards the third count we
consider that the 1st and 3rd
accused having been found guilty
of the principal offence of
obtaining the £200 by false
pretences ought 'not to be
convicted also under section
430. I t is in our opinion wrong
having found it proved that the
1st and 3rd accused did in fact
obtain the money and goods by
fraudulent false pretence to go
on and find them guilty of
having in their possession part
of the same money which might be
reasonably suspected
of having been unlawfully
obtained.
The conviction and sentences of
the 1st and 3rd accused on the
3rd count for that reason are
quashed.
This consideration does not of
course apply to the convictions
and sentences of the 2nd and 4th
accused on the 3rd count. There
was certainly evidence which if
believed would justify the
conviction of the 2nd and 4th
accused on the 3rd count and
their appeals are dismissed.