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PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY SCHEME
The results of the first three years operations of the
professional liability scheme managed by Underwriting
Agencies Ltd. are now to hand.
For the year 1972 439 policies were issued gross
premiums being £72,423.00. Eleven claims were notified
of which ten are outstanding and a reserve of £34,470
has been retained to meet these claims. The anticipated
results of the year's working indicates a sum of £34,470
for payments and outstanding claims and a reserve of
£17,235 for unexpired risks making a total of £51,705
in all or at a ratio of claims to premiums of 71 per cent.
Gross premiums for the years 1970 (part), 1971 and
1972 were £140,569. Fifty-three claims were received
of which nineteen resulted in a nil liability, six cost
£1,425 and twenty-eight outstanding claims are esti-
mated at £77,395. Anticipated results are a reserve of
£17,235 for unexpired risks making a total of £96,055
possible liability being a ratio of 68 per cent of claims
to premiums
UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING
AND RESEARCH
Fifteen fellowships for the Study and Dissemination of
International Law are being offered by UNITAR. Most
of the fellowships are confined to government officials.
All candidates must be law graduates in the 24 to 40
age group. Non civil servants are required to attend
courses in International Law in The Hague under study
scheme (maximum number five) for eleven weeks from
10 July to 22 September 1973 or Study Scheme D
(maximum number six) for seven weeks from 10 July
to 22 August 1973.
All candidates must have experience in the field of
International Law, and, if accepted, all travelling and
accommodation expenses will be paid. Tuition will be
in English and French.
Application forms may be obtained from the Depart-
ment of Foreign Affairs, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin
2, as Irish candidates are ultimately nominated by the
Minister. The completed application forms should
reach the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin, at
latest by 23 March 1973.
INVENTOR WHO LED DOUBLE LIFE GAOLED
A man described as a brilliant inventor who hacj led a
double life as a highlv-respected scientist and an incor-
rigible confidence trickster was back in jail last night.
Alfred Weston, 55, creator of the original design for
the Black Box flight recorder, was sentenced to four
years at Chester Crown Court after pleading guilty to
six charges of fraud.
Two psychiatrists said Weston, who has spent 27£
years of the past 29 years in jail, was suffering from
chronic hypomania—over-activity of the brain. They
recommended hospital treatment.
But Judge Robin David declared that the public must
be protected and he could not "gamble" on treatment
which might not remove the criminal element from
Weston's make-up.
Hotel bills unpaid
Weston had defrauded Abbots Well Motor Inn,
Waverton, near Chester, of £1,025 by entertaining a
bank manager and associates.
On five other charges of obtaining hotel accommo-
dation and a taxi ride by false pretences he was sen-
tenced to one year's imprisonment on each to run
concurrently.
Within two weeks of release from prison last year had
had run up hotel bills in Chester, Ellesmere Port and
Poole, Dorset, on a "flight of fantasy".
He "conned" Mr. Scott Carpenter, former American
astronaut, into travelling to London to discuss a £1
million deal to raise a ship from the sea-bed off Dorset.
The trip cost Mr. Carpenter £1,400 for a conference
to discuss the project but he did not press charges.
Mr. Gareth Edwards, defending, said Weston had
spent 27 years in prison but his condition had never
been diagnosed before. The Court should make an order
ensuring that he received the treatment he needed.
Wearing a dark-brown suede safari-type jacket, with
a neatly-clipped moustache, Weston showed no emotion
as the Judge returned him to prison.
It was in prison that he obtained a Doctor of Science
degree in aeronautical engineering and other qualifi-
cations. He has had visits from Government experts
about his work with under-water pollution.
A
paradox
The Judge told him : "Your life has been a paradox.
You are a man of quite exceptional talents with scien-
tific qualifications of the highest order, and some of
your inventions have been of great value to society.
"The odd feature is that your qualifications and con-
structive work has been done within the setting of the
prison system. Out of prison, you must recognise, you
are a thoroughly unscrupulous fraud."
The Judge said he was satisfied Weston was suffering
from hypomania but not with the prospects of successful
treatment and the probability of continuing to offend.
The sentence had to be in line with the gravity of
the charges "to protect the innocent from frauds like
you." He ordered that a transcript of the case be sent
to the Home Secretary so that Mr. Garr could consider
whether Weston should be transferred to hospital for
treatment.
Mr. Edwards said afterwards that the question of an
appeal against the sentence was under consideration.
—The Daily Telegraph
(17 February 1973)
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