A navy historian who stole a logbook belonging within the widow of one of many heroes of the 1943 Dambusters raid is going through jail after he 'lied by way of his tooth' in court docket.
Alex Bateman, 48, persuaded Doris Fraser, now 92, at hand over the £10,000 piece of memorabilia which belonged to her late husband Flight Sergeant John Fraser.
Her husband had been a bomb aimer within the first wave of planes to assault the Möhn dam.
Alex Bateman, left, who was jailed final yr on a toddler pornography cost, stole the logbook of Dambuster hero Flight Sergeant John Fraser, proper, who was a bomb aimer in the course of the assault
Bateman, who's a navy historian, refused to return the £10,000 doc to the previous RAF man's widow, and even despatched her a break up envelope and claimed it went lacking within the publish
Bateman claimed Doris Fraser had given him the precious historic doc, pictured
When Mrs Fraser requested Bateman to return it he concocted a sequence of excuses to try to maintain the doc.
He despatched the widow an envelope with a break up in it and tried to assert the logbook had fallen out within the publish, Wooden Inexperienced Crown Courtroom heard.
After it was miraculously 'discovered' within the sorting workplace, Bateman produced a Christmas card purportedly from Mrs Fraser gifting him the log e-book.
It learn: 'Pricey Alex, thanks on your letter however please maintain the logbook, you would possibly discover it helpful. All the perfect for the New Yr, Doris Fraser..'
A hand writing knowledgeable discovered there was 'robust proof to counsel' the cardboard had been written by somebody aside from by Mrs Fraser.
When the Fraser household went to the press in regards to the theft in June 2003, Bateman claimed it had been stolen on a housebreaking.
The case was initially handled as a civil matter, however in Could 2015 the Met police started investigating the historian for theft.
At trial, it emerged Bateman had accepted a warning for stealing paperwork from the nationwide archives.
Relations of different airman within the Dambusters Squadron have additionally complained about memorabilia not being returned, though Bateman has not been prosecuted for these issues.
Sgt Fraser, pictured (circled) earlier than becoming a member of the Dam Busters squadron, flew within the first wave of plane which attacked the Mohne Dam however was shot down in a later mission
Fraser, who was a former worker of Harrow faculty, was jailed final yr on a depend of producing indecent photographs of kids and was sentenced to 12 months in jail
The investigation was hampered by the actual fact Bateman was jailed for 12 months in Could final yr for making indecent photographs of kids.
Bateman denied one depend of theft, however was convicted by a jury of seven girls and 5 males after trial at Wooden Inexperienced Crown Courtroom.
He bowed his head and closed his eyes as the decision was delivered.
Decide John Dodd mentioned: 'I can not see any different to a custodial sentence.
'The size of the sentence which I think about absolute inevitable, is now one thing I've to mirror on.
'He is lied by way of his tooth to this jury.
'He has carried out one thing dreadfully merciless, I believe he has it in his energy to inform the reality, and if he does select to inform the reality and restore the unique doc that may assist him enormously.'
Bateman might be sentenced on February three at Wooden Inexperienced Crown Courtroom.
John Fraser married his spouse Doris on April 29, 1943, two weeks earlier than the Dam Busters raid
Ft Sgt Fraser was shot down in the course of the assault however bailed out and managed to stroll 200 miles in direction of Holland solely to be stopped simply 30 miles in need of Dutch border.
After being interrogated by the Germans, he spent the remainder of the Second World Battle in a prisoner of conflict camp, and didn't see his spouse once more till his launch in Could 1945.
Tragically, he was killed in a aircraft crash in 1962 in Canada the place he had settled along with his English bride after the conflict.
Throughout his trial, his daughter Shere Fraser-Lowe defined how her heartbroken mom had not talked about her father for nearly 40 years after his loss of life, and had solely began to open up about in correspondence with Bateman.
She mentioned that round 2003 she had begun her personal analysis into the Dambusters after many years of silence in regards to the situation in her fast household about her father.
It was then that Mrs Fraser advised her she had been speaking with Bateman.
Bateman, pictured, might be sentenced at Wooden Inexperienced Crown Courtroom on February three
Showing through video hyperlink from her house in Washington State, Mrs Fraser-Lowe mentioned: 'For the primary time in 40 years she was in a position to discuss my father - there have been plenty of tears and it was a protracted course of.
'I first realized in regards to the logbook in discussions with my mom - she did say she had been speaking with a researcher into 617 squadron.'
'In North America there isn't any fanaticism about amassing memorabilia in regards to the Dambusters, particularly amassing 617 squadron gadgets.
'I realized that the sort of materials is taken into account very helpful and I leaned Mr Bateman had been in touch with my mom asking for extra paperwork regarding the 617 Squadron and referring to different members of the squadron.'
The pair exchanged quite a few emails and letters, however the relationship started to show bitter when she repeatedly requested him to return the logbook.
'I had no purpose to consider that he was not being trustworthy, I anticipated him to ship the log e-book, he mentioned he would put if within the publish within the subsequent few days.'
Mrs Fraser-Lowe started to get anxious when she obtained the empty envelope.
'My mum broke down [in tears], proper after I took care of my mum I made a cellphone name - I've saved the unique phone invoice.
'It was a really temporary cellphone name, however his manner spoke louder than phrases. He did not appear shocked and I had referred to as him right away as a result of I used to be anxious about this.'
After Bateman claimed to have discovered the logbook on the sorting workplace, the pair continued to change emails, however Bateman nonetheless did not hand over the e-book, even when Mrs Fraser-Lowe supplied to make a visit to London to gather it.
In a single letter, he mentioned: 'Pricey Shere, thanks on your e-mail and the decision final night time.
'With latest occasions I'm discovering this a tough and tense time at a degree when different issues arising in my life are equally tense if no more so.
'I respect it's possible you'll wish to focus on the matter additional however I need to ask you to cease contacting me at house.'
'Your previous couple of communications have proved fairly upsetting - I've had a protracted and completely satisfied communication along with your mom.
'I apologise for making an attempt to ship the log e-book by way of the publish and I really feel I'll have carried out so in haste.'
He continues: 'The log e-book was really gifted to me quite a lot of years in the past with out situation and having given the supply of handing it over in particular person I don't see the aim of you making a particular journey to London earlier than Could [the date of the Dambusters reunion].'
The household had no additional communication with Bateman after March 2003 and didn't see him on the reunion that Could, which had been organised to have a good time 60 years because the mission.
Mrs Fraser insisted that the logbook had by no means been given as a present to Bateman to maintain.
In a press release taken final summer season, Mrs Fraser mentioned: 'In 1996 I used to be in correspondence with Alex Bateman, he requested sure Dambusters gadgets I had been left by my late husband.
'I despatched him the log e-book so as to help along with his analysis. There was by no means any suggestion that this was something aside from a mortgage - he did not return the log e-book and I later advised my daughter this.'
'A Christmas card Mr Bateman claims was written by me granting him possession, I didn't ship this.
It is not my hand writing or signature this card is a pretend and I might by no means give my husband's logbook to a person I've by no means met.'
Bateman, pictured, claimed he wanted the logbook to help along with his analysis on the raid
In a second assertion, she mentioned: 'The Christmas card wasn't written by me, it seems I did not write this Christmas card, it has been faked.
'There are for different Christmas playing cards from me to Alex Bateman, I did write these playing cards and make sure they're my writing.
'The financial worth is irrelevant to me as a result of I might by no means promote it, what's extra vital is the emotional worth of the logbook belonging to my late husband and it ought to belong to me or my household - I used to be completely satisfied to lend it to Alex Bateman once I thought I used to be helping his analysis into the Dambusters.
'I am happy with my husband's achievements and in lending Mr Bateman the logbook I believed I used to be honouring his reminiscence.'
Finally Mrs Fraser-Lowe went to the 617 Air Crew Affiliation - a society of former squadron members, their households and historians - to ask for assist, and so they suggested she take the case to the Met Police.
In proof, Bateman repeatedly claimed he had discovered letters and emails from Doris Fraser and her household, then later their solicitors, to be 'intimidating'.
'I wasn't anticipating a letter right away threatening me with court docket motion - inside three days of [claiming to own the log book].
'It was threatening and intimidating which I believed was relatively unusual.'
He denied sending an empty envelope to Canada, insisting the logbook actually had been discovered on the sorting workplace.
Bateman repeatedly insisted that at no level did he think about himself the rightful proprietor of the logbook.
'I've mentioned 'gifted' as in unconditionally lent to me. I've by no means mentioned 'given' - I have never mentioned in communication that it was given to me or that it was unconditionally given to me.'
He mentioned that though he knew the merchandise was helpful, he wasn't involved about its price.
When admitted by no means telling Mrs Fraser how a lot the merchandise was probably price, however mentioned: 'I did not [tell her] at any level as a result of I do not see the financial worth in it. i solely see the worth of the knowledge.'
He added: 'I do not accumulate Dambusters memorabilia.'
Bateman then claimed he thought Mrs Fraser-Lowe could be making an attempt to get the logbook again with out her aged mom's data.
Bateman, from Harrow, north west London was discovered responsible of 1 depend of theft.
0 Response to "Paedophile military historian who stole a £10,000 logbook faces jail"
Post a Comment