Supreme Court TRIAL ON ROBBERY CHARGE CONTINUES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28747, 19 November 1958, Page 8

Supreme Court TRIAL ON ROBBERY CHARGE CONTINUES

Evidence that one of the accus-i ed had attempted to escape from] the Christchurch Central Police | Station by diving through a closed first-floor window was given I by detectives when the trial of! four young men on charges of] robbery and assault was continued' in the Supreme Court yesterday! before Mr Justice Adams and a ; jury. ■ The witnesses said that the man! was disappearing over a ledge! when he was grabbed and pulled; back into the office. He suffered! a severe cut over the left ■eye.! The incident occurred while Wil-i Ham Grant, aged 24, was being’ questioned by detectives. Grant, who was represented by i Mr G. S. Brockett, was charged] jointly with Timoti Mitai Tc{ Rawhara Rollcston, aged 22 (Mr; L. G. Holder), Alan Robert 1 Twaites, aged 22 (Mr B. J. Drake) i and George Karaitiana, aged 24] (Mr R. B. Shand) with robbing! Otto Methorst, a Dutch seaman,! of £47. They were also charged alternatively with assault with| intent to rob. and assault causing) actual bodily harm. Evidence for the Crown was| completed and the Crown Prose-j cutor (Mr C. M. Roper) had made] his final address when the trial

was adjourned to this morning. | It was alleged that the four] accused attacked Methorst and took his money after a young woman had enticed him to the back of a house in Manchester street. Evidence was given on Monday that a party had been going on at the house for three or four days. The young woman. Sylvia Frances Herd, who has already been dealt with for her part in the incident, said in evidence that Grant had asked her to take Methorst outside. Anita Anne Caldana said that fairly late in the evening she was told something by Miss Herd. At; that time Methorst was in the sittingroom. She saw Herd and Methorst leave the house by the front door and go round the side of the house. She followed them out and standing at the front of the house called out to Herd to see if she was all right. Witness said she saw no-one else leave the house and when I.she went inside the accused were ; in the sitting-room drinking, i Shortly after they went out the I front door and got into a car. ■The next time she saw Methorst he was at the front gate of the house, said Caldana. Police Evidence Detective Constable D. N., Stewart said that Rollcston. when interviewed the morning after the! alleged offence, was unable to ex-1 plain bloodstains on his clothing.! In a statement he said he had seen Methorst at the party and; heard him tell Sylvia Herd that he had £lOO and was going to buy her diamonds. He understood! later that Herd was going to take' Methorst outside and “some ofi the boys” were going to take his] ! money. RoilestOn said that when j i he went outside he saw a fight j | going on and. had an idea the! “boys” were trying to take the Dutchman’s money. He had then gone up behind Methorst and hold him by the arms. Grant, who denied assaulting or robbing Methorst, said he had] heard that a fight was going on] and when he went outside someone started “picking on him” so] he struck back, said Sergeant R ' H. McMurray. Grant said he did| not know either Methorst or] Sylvia Herd. He was found to] have blood on both hands and! wrists and lacerations on his knuckles. I Twaites also denied assaulting] ! or robbing Methorst and told witI ness he was not a fighting man.] His shoes were muddy and a £lo] I note was found in his pocket. j ■ While he was interviewing l •Grant, whose real name was' Alexander Simpson Dewar, the ■accused made a sudden run for] ■the window, struck the glass with' j his open hands, hesitated for a] moment and then dived through,, j said Detective-Sergeant F. G., Ward. As Grant was disappearing lover the ledge witness grabbed ! him and with assistance pulled him back into the office. Accused I suffered a severe cut above the left eye and was taken to the, ihospital for treatment. The office. • was on the first floor of the buildin reply to a question from Mr] 'Brockett witness said that at the] ]lime of this incident he had been] ] suggesting to Grant, “in no uncertain terms” that he was a ship' I deserter. Grant strongly denied; .the suggestion but it was .-iibsc-. ! quently confirmed. Statement Read In a voluntary statement read, by Detective E. L. McLachlan.; Twaites stated that at the party] a Dutchman was running around saying how much money he had on him. Herd was dancing with ’ Methorst. He heard something i about her taking Methorst outside

•iand thought the idea was to take: 11 his money from him. ‘j Twaites said he was just “in! 1 1 with the rest of the boys.” Out-j J side the house there was a scuffle! : going on, but he denied taking; ■ I part or receiving any money. He] , i claimed that the £l6 note in his! J possession was found by him on' ] the floor of Karaitiana’s car. 11 Detective McLachlan said that' •I no incriminating evidence was 1 [•found when a search was made of! I i Grant’s lodgings. ■ i “I know that the Dutchman was] ■ going to be rolled for his money, ']but I didn’t know, it was going] to be done so quick,” said a{ J statement by Karaitiana, road by! ,ithe witness. Accused stated that! iihe had heard that Herd was go- , ling to take Methorst outside. I I While he was in a room with a] II girl someone called out that there • was a fight outside. He found the . Dutchman lying on, the ground 11 saying that he had given his 1: money to Anita. Grant, Rollcston • land Twaites were standing I around him. Another man came ’up and grabbing Methorst said J he would get the money and gave! ] him a couple of slaps. Mr Roper said that a surprising! • 'feature of the case was that 1 ! nearly all the accused were late - in getting to the scene of the at-] i tack.