POLICE TO HOLD INQUIRY

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26357, 27 February 1951, Page 6

POLICE TO HOLD INQUIRY

ALLEGATION AGAINST CONSTABLE TREATMENT OF ARRESTED MAN

(New Zealana Press Association) a s .WELLINGTON, February 26. ! is to be made by the allegations made in the tes CoU u rt lo ' day that a man arrested on a charge ot drunkenness S' a fh 8 . tr w k n ! ’ y » a co " stable in the ceils of the Wellington Central Police Station. Sub-Inspector E. Thomas gave this assurance when Mr A. A. McLachlan. S.M., suggested that an inquiry be made. “It does savour a little bit of praciL what ha ! h a PP en ed is correct not the very choicest of practice either, said the Magistrate. ♦i, C t Onst o^ le B - said in evidence i 27-year-old man was arrested at 130 a.m. on Sunday for being found cdHSh ni n ? kc>, ' i road J Constable “ n that a man and his fiancee naa tola him the deiendant was waiting round their house for a young 7V, i 8£ d T a !» ke l , ? im t 0 investigate. “PPWing tor the defendant. Constable Quinn said he applied a hammerlock on the man because he was not sure of his intentions, and that the defendant was taken most of the way from Tinakori road to the police station with the hammerlock applied. Mr Weir asked whether the defendant had been struck at the station. When Constable Quinn paused, the Magistaate said that he should have no difficulty in remembering whether or not the defendant had been struck. Constable Quinn said he believed the defendant had been struck once in the cells. The defendant became abusive during questioning. Constable Quinn said that he did not strike the man himself, but he gave the number of the constable who did. He said he did not know the name of the constable. Mr Weir said that his client had been a flying officer during the war and was a Master of Science. On the charge sheet he was described as a seaman. He submitted that there was no evidence that the defendant was drunk.

The Magistrate dismissed the charge.