LAW REPORT : R v. BIGOT-JOHNSON ( 2012 )
( Bigot-Johnson had become incredibly desperate in his quest to win a prestigious trophy. Having resorted to using repeated light openers, overcalls, deviations and psychs , he finally managed to mastermind a big event pairs win. Everything fell into place in the last round when he  arrived at the top table. There,  he  managed to pull off some very damaging psychs against his nearest challengers. However, following a complaint about his dubious tactics , Bigot found himself in a Crown Court on charges of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception. Down below is a short extract from the trial's transcript. )

Prosecutor  ( P ) : You Bigot are charged under The Theft Act with obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception .....
B-J : You're mad....you're completely off your head....
P : Not so....for the simple truth is that you used cunning and deception in the form of false misleading bids , which bamboozled your closest challengers into making uncharacteristic mistakes . These enabled you to secure an important victory over them,  obtaining in the process the valuable silverware and  prize money that was up for grabs.
B-J : Might I remind you that my victory was down to playing a superior game of bridge , where my guile and cunning overcame their naivety, trust, blind faith and crass stupidity. 
P : You used psychs....highly devious,....extremely deceptive....very underhand and damaging bids which were nothing more than outrageous LIES. To win prize money in this way ranks this appalling  type of behaviour alongside that of scammers,  con artists, cheats and rogues.
B-J : All this is preposterous....I was just playing bridge ...well within the laws ,  as established and laid down by the governing bridge bodies  
P : Yes...but there are other laws you have to abide by such as those laid down by the Theft Act. Your club may turn a blind eye and allow some prima donna players to harass , harangue and bully their partners........but if recorded evidence was brought before a criminal court they would all be charged with psychological assault .
B-J : But thousands of players use all manner of bids and card play techniques to deceive their opponents  in order to put themselves into  winning positions........
P : Then I'm afraid they are all potentially committing deception-related offences laid down in the Theft Act...
B-J : Then the law must be an ass !
P : Not so ....you are the ass with your mule-headed attitude and awkward, stubborn ways about playing the game as if it was one endless huffing and bluffing. Indeed, you snatched ...or should I say....stole victory when you psyched 3D on the last board.....without a single diamond in your hand ! So when your LHO sailed into 7H ......you cleverly refrained from doubling.....knowing of course your woodentop partner would  dutifully lead that suit.  So when you ruffed , with your singleton trump, you robbed the opponents of a trophy which should have had their names  printed on it.  As a consequence of your " con " , you just sat there for several minutes.......wallowing in a pool of self-satisfaction, sickening smugness and unbridled joy.
B-J : Brilliant .....wasn't it.....
Judge : A despicable act of wickedness and evil in my opinion.....which clearly establishes the mens rea for this offence......a deliberate almost malicious intent to deceive others in order to obtain  a pecuniary advantage.... so in my book Bigot......you're going down for a considerable period of time....
B-J: But it takes two to lie......one to say the lie, the other to believe it........my opponents had an opportunity to expose the lie but chose not to do so...
Judge : Interpteting opponents bids has to be based on the premise that they are bidding to their agreed system card.....because if not.....then the system card itself is nothing more than a fraudulent, deceptive , almost meaningless, document.... and the purpose of the criminal law is  to protect the innocent ....who are not obliged , under any circumstances,  to question what they believe to be true. Take this man down....
B-J : Bugger....