‘Quite A Reputation For Blowing Safes’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30191, 24 July 1963, Page 16

‘Quite A Reputation For Blowing Safes’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 23. A former prison escaper, Raymond Hopewell, admitted in the Supreme Court at Wellington today that he had “quite a reputation for blowing safes.” He had been called as a witness in the trial of George William Kasseybaum, aged 46, an upholsterer, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact to the offence of escaping from lawful custody.

It is alleged that knowing Hopewell and Joseph William Coulter had escaped from lawful custody, he comforted or assisted them in order to enable them to avoid arrest.

Kasseybaum also faces charges of burglary and one of theft, together with an alternative charge of receiving, and a charge of being a rogue and vagabond in that he possessed housebreaking implements without lawful excuse Mr W. R. Birks, with him Mr J. H. C. Larsen, appears for the Crown, and Mr D. S. Castle for Kasseybaum. The trial is before the Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough). Mr Birks said that on the morning of March 10, Hopewell and Coulter escaped from Mount Crawford Prison by jumping over a wall, in the course of which Hopewell injured his foot. In accordance with an arrangement made some days before, the escapers went to the Miramar transit camp where they were picked up in a car by a man named Doyle and a 15-year-old boy They were driven to Kasseybaum’s home in Korokoro where they remained for 15 days. Kasseybaum did no’ stay in the house, but visited it on a number of occasions during that time and food was taken to the escapers by Doyle and the boy. Shown Explosives Kasseybaum showed Hopewell and Coulter a quantity of gelignite, detonators and fuses for blowing safes. There was discussion among the three as to how Hopewell and Coulter could get ou< of the country. On March 25 Hopewell hired a rental car in Wellington and he and Coulter went to Auckland in it. When the car was stopped by the police in Auckland they found in it a coat belonging to one of Kasseybaum’s suits. Hopewell was not arrested until April 9 when he was found wearing the trousers of the suit. On April 13, simultaneous searches were made of the Korokoro house and Kasseybaum’s business premises. A pair of white gloves found at the house had traces □f gelignite on them. At Kasseybaum’s business premises some coils of safety fuse used with explosives, a reefer jacket stolen from a warehouse, and some sticks of olasticine of the kind used for packing gelignite into the keyholes of safes to blow them were found. Threats Denied Hopewell, at present serving a sentence of preventive detention, said he always knew the accused as “Kassey." not Kasseybaum. Hopewell said he stayed in Kasseybaum’s house for 15 days. Cross-examined by Mr Castle. Hopewell denied ever having threatened the accused Mr Castle: Was he ever told things would happen to him if he got in touch with the police? Hopewell: Definitely not

In evidence Coulter told of his escape from Hopewell and their trip to the house. To Mr Birks, Coulter said that while he and Hopewell were at the house, Kasseybaum came there three or four times.

Mr Birks: Did you discuss with him what you were going to do? Coulter: Yes—knock off a couple of tanks and shoot through. Asked by Mr Birks where he made the arrangements with Kasseybaum’s son. Coulter said they were made when he had visitors at the prison on the Saturday before the escape Mr Birks: Was there any arrangement made about where you were going to be taken? Coulter: Yes. Shotgun Taken Coulter said when he and Hopewell left Kasseybaum’s house they took a shotgun and ammunition and a small bag of detonators, gelignite and fuse. They “more or less” had Kasseybaum’s permission to take them. Mr Birks: Where did the shotgun come from? Coutler: It was "knocked off” from a place in Petone by Kasseybaum’s son. To his Honour, Coulter said Hopewell had sawn off the barrel of the shotgun Cross-examined by Mr Castle, Coulter said Kasseybaum was not threatened in any way about what might be” done to him if he told the police about Hopewell or himself Mr Castle: Could you have said you would have it out with the police, shot for shot?

Coulter: No. Police witnesses gave evidence of finding several pieces of torn-up documents in the car in which Coulter and Hopewell travelled to Auckland. They included a Post Office Savings Bank book issued at Wellington in the name of George William Kassey, and portion of an N.A.C, ticket issued In the same name. In the boot was a kit bag with “Keassey” printed on it in ink. The car also contained several detonators, safety fuse, gelignite and a hand grenade from which the detonator was missing.

The hearing will continue tomorrow.