Director For Trial On Charges Involving £8l7l

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 6

Director For Trial On Charges Involving £8l7l

Ronald Lester Syme. ”»gM ■ML a company director, was cemmitted for trial at. the, nfext sitting at the Supreme Court in Christchursh by Messrs N. 3. G. Speary and H. T. Fuller. Justice* of the Peace, in the Magistrate's Court late yesterday afternoon after a two-day hearing. Syme, who was represented tw Mr W A. Anderson. Weeded not guilty to 31 charges involving theft, false pretences, forgery, theft by failing to account, misappropriation. and aggravated assgult. The police allege that Syme defrauded a finance cWnpany and a number of persons of £Bl7l 16s 4d. ■The prosecutor was SeniorSergeant G. M. Cleary. Most <4 the charges relate to the dealings of Truck Spares. Bid., of which Syme is the principal shareholder. ■Giving evidence on the charge of aggravated assault. Detective James Louis Marshall said that at 12.35 p.m on July 20 he went with Detective J. P. Crozier to Symes's home at 32 Wroxton terrace. They had a warrant for the accused's arrest on a charge of theft of a truck. They drove the police car tip the drive, and were approached by Mrs Syme. Then Syme appeared from the garage, and said: “You’ve go*, a warrant for my arrest This is the finish.”- He took aim at Detective Crozier with a rifle. Detective Marshall said. Detective Crozier took cover behind the corner at the house, and Syme swung the rifle at the witness. Detective Crozier came out. and they tried to persuade Syme to put the rifle down, and he said repeatedly: “I’ll shoot your guts out." Syme again sighted the rifle at Detective Crozier, who ran along the back of the house. The witness said he continued to talk to Syme, who refused to put the rifle down Mrs Syme left. Syme said: ‘five had everyone. I’ll' finish you and get Crozier later.” The witness said he continued to talk to Syme for about five minutes, and he appeared to be a little calmer “Ordered to Leave" Detective Marshall said that Syme asked where Detective Crozier was. and then he was ordered to leave the property. He was kept covered with the rifle until he did so. He then saw Syme looking in the shrubbery for Detective Crozier. The witness said he telephoned the C. 1.8. and shortly afterwards he was picked up by a police party in a car Detective-Constable Donald Kinloch White said he was a member of the police party which went to Syme’s home. They saw the police car parked in the drive, but no-one was near. They drove around the area and picked UP Detectives Marshall and Crozier. They stopped Syme’s car in Glandovey road at the corner of Idris road, said Detective - Constable White. They saw Syme trying to bring a rifle up tp the driver's window Detective Crozier accosted Syme, and the witness ran around the other side of the car and seized the rifle. When the rifle was opened if was found to contain a lead-nosed cartridge. Syme was searched, and 22 round* of .303 ammunition were

found in his possession. De-tective-Constable White said? (. Detective James Percy■ ■Crozier said that when he wks first approached by Syme I he denied that he had a war-i rant fw? his arrest and said I he just wanted-to discuss the matter. He did this because! Syme was in a dangerous mood. Later he did admit that he had a warrant and asked Syme to come to the police station. Syme said he would never do it and took sight at him along the rifle, and he took cover behind the comer of the house. When Syme did not shoot he tried to pacify Syme but was again threatened “I decided that we were not going to get anywhere with Syme without assistance. and when he pointed the rifle at me again I ran through the back of the section until I located a house with a telephone, and got in touch with Detective Inspector G. C. Urquhart.” Detective Crozier said. Fallowed Car The witness obtained the assistance of a civilian and they drove past Syme's home. Syme drove a car aut of the drive and they followed end he took the number. They followed for a short distance, and when it appeared that Svme was driving around the area and did not know

where to go they went beck to his home. Describing Syme's arrest Detective Crosier said that the accused did not know the police car was behind him until it swung in front of his car. He Jumped out and grabbed the rifle and pointed it towards the roof of the ear. Syme was granted bail of £lOO. with two sureties of £lOO each, and was ordered to report daily to the police. Evidence on the other charges was also given by Frank Henry Berland. a Otter and turner, of 60 Rosewarne street; Ronald Bertram Ralph Cole, a storeman, of 58 Vancouver street; Colin Allen, tn engineer, of 20 Rose street; George Murrav Waerea. a workman, of 43 Blenheim road; Robert Donald Heaney, an electrician of 353 St. Asaph street: James Waddie Souter a baker, of 29 Oxford street, Lyttleton: William Howard, a carpenter, of 21 Hollyford avenue; William Gilbert Ellery, a builder. of 4 Hopkins street: Noel Tehau Wakefield a bushman. or North Beach: Ross Leonard Smith, a farmer, of 121 Johns road: Ernest Godfrey BatStone, an accountant, of 12 Halliwell avenue: John Francis Otnelvena. a farmer, of Mawheraiti; Gilbert Bevan McAllister, a storeman. of 419 Cashel street: Samuel Harcourt Allotn, a former detective and now a manager. of Boon street; and James McCallum Tocker. an accountant, of 11 Idris road.