15.
Facts bearing on question whether act was accidental or intentional.-
When there is a question whether an act was accidental or
intentional, or done with a particular knowledge or intention,
the fact that such act formed part of a series of similar
occurrences, in each of which the person doing the act was
concerned, is relevant.
Illustrations
(a) A is accused of burning down his house
in order to obtain money for which it is insured.
The facts that A lived in several houses
successively, each of which he insured, in each of which a
fire occurred, and after each of which fires A received payment
from a different insurance office, are relevant, as tending
to show that the fires were not accidental.
(b) A is employed to receive money from
the debtors of B. It is A's duty to make entries in a book
showing the amounts received by him. He makes an entry showing
that on a particular occasion he received less than he really
did receive.
The question is, whether this false entry
was accidental or intentional.
The facts that other entries made by A in
the same book are false, and that the false entry is in each
case in favour of A, are relevant.
(c) A is accused of fraudulently delivering
to B a counterfeit rupee.
The question is, whether the delivery of
the rupee was accidental.
The facts that, soon before or soon after
the delivery to B, A delivered counterfeit rupees to C, D
and E are relevant, as showing that the delivery to B, was
not accidental.
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