Father: Tom Smith RAeC Certificate 11319 dated 13 Aug 1933, taken at Scottish Flying Club in DH Moth Address in 1936: 22 Campbell St, Darvel, Ayrshire prev. a Picture House Manager; Air Traffic Control Officer at Liverpool Airport m. 31 Dec 1939 in Oxton, Audrey Margaret [Green] Postings:
Pilot Officer, RAFVR from 21 Feb 1941 Post-WWII, he became Director of Operations in the Civil Aviation Department in Pakistan. However, in 1950 he was convicted of fraud, and jailed:
"ADAM TAYLOR SMITH SENTENCED Former Civil Aviation Official Gets 2½ Years for Cheating and Forgery KARACHI, Sept. 13 (APP).—Mr. Adam Taylor Smith, former Director of Operations, Civil Aviation Department, Government of Pakistan was today found guilty of committing fraud against the Government of Pakistan, of abetment of forgery, and of breach of the Indian Aircraft Rules and sentenced to a total of two and a half year's simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 4,600. Delivering a 49-page judgment to-clay, Syed Mohammed Baqar, Special Judge, found Mr. Adam Smith guilty under Section 420 and 465 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him respectively to two years' simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 4,000, in default of which further simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 500, two months. Both sentences will run concurrently. Also found guilty of breach of Rules 5 and 7 (2) of the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, as adapted by Pakistan, Mr. Adam Smith was further sentenced to a penalty of Rs. 100, in default of which to undergo simple imprisonment for 15 days. After the sentence had been passed, Mr. Adam Smith told the Special Judge that he would appeal against his conviction, adding "I will fight it myself." He requested two days' parole in order to file his appeal as he "had no legal adviser" and "was not versed with legal details." The Judge, however, said he could not grant him the parole and gave him time till the rising of the court to file his appeal with the High Court. The Special Judge also complemented the Inspector, Mr. Abdul Qadir, and the Sub-Inspector, Mr. Abdul Karim, of the C.I.D. for their vigilance in detecting and proving the crime. CRIME OF NECESSITY Before passing the sentence, the Special Judge said "I cannot close the judgment without expressing my regret that the accused, who occupied a high post and a position of trust in the Pakistan Government, should have committed such degrading crimes, as the offences of cheating and forgery are considered to be, and should have tried to deprive the Pakistan Government of a valuable Dakota. "He tried to impress upon me that he was, and still is, a great well wisher of Pakistan. But it seems that his interests in the welfare of Pakistan cease when his own personal interest is involved. "It was, no doubt, a crime of necessity which made him desperate. He was confident that on account of his influence, which he seemed to possess over Mr. Ispahani, Chairman of the Orients, he would be able to purchase one or two Dakotas from the Orients In spite of the opposition of Capt. Stack [*] and Miller. He did succeed in getting one Dakota, but at the same time Capt. Stack and Mr. Miller also succeeded in getting a condition imposed in the sale agreement that they will have the first option to purchase the Dakota in case the accused wanted to sell it. "Before this condition was imposed the accused had already entered into an agreement of sale with Messers. Board and Daver and Israni and had accepted, if not the full price, at least Rs. 63,000- from them. He thus found himself on the horns of a dilemma. If he were to cancel the sale, he would lose the big profit of Rs. 60,000 which he expected to make by that sale, and if he accepted it, he would not be able to give the delivery of the Dakota and to get its clearance outside Pakistan because of the Orients and Pakistan Government. He must be presumed to have known that under the notification of September 6, 1943, mentioned above, there was complete prohibition for export of aircraft outside Pakistan. "The temptation was thus too great not to follow an honourable course of returning the money to Messers Board and Daver and expressing his helplessness in the matter. He succumbed to that temptation in conspiracy with Messers Board and Daver and committed the present shameful crimes. "He most probably took the chance and might have thought that he would escape the clutches of law, but due to the vigilance of the C.I.D. and other Government officials he could not succeed. They not only detected them, but successfully proved them, which goes to their credit. "In view of my findings recorded above, I hold that the accused is guilty under Section 420 and 465 of the Indian Penal Code and has also committed breaches of Rules 5 and 7 (2) of the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, as adapted by Pakistan Government." The learned Judge then passed sentence on the accused. Mr. Adam Taylor Smith was sent to jail this evening, when he failed to file an appeal against his conviction by the Special Judge. Till 1 p.m. this afternoon, Mr. Adam Smith had no consel and, it is, learned when one did later make a bail application before the Deputy Registrar, it was not accepted on the grounds that details were lacking. Mr. Adam Smith, it is understood, will make another application tomorrow. " - Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Wednesday 14 September 1949
* [ Captain Thomas Neville Stack was killed when run over by a lorry in Karachi on 22nd February 1949]
"The Appellate Bench of the Sind Chief Court, while confirming the charge of defrauding the Government of Pakistan, on March 20, had acquitted Mr. Smith from the other two charges—forgery and violation of the Indian Aircraft rules. The Appellate Bench had also reduced the earlier term of sentence from two and a half years' simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 4,000 to four months' simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1,000. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council rejected the petition of Mr. Smith, without calling on Counsel for the Crown. Mr. Smith has been lodged in the District Jail of Karachi. It will be recalled that Mr. Smith was tried and sentenced for defrauding the Pakistan Government of a Dakota, by permanently exporting it out of Pakistan."
Adam, Audrey and Adam Jr. (aged 1¾) sailed back to the UK from Pakistan, arriving 29 August 1950
* File not seen |
1933
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