Allegation Against Detective

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30847, 4 September 1965, Page 3

Allegation Against Detective

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, September 3. An allegation that an Auckland detective had attempted to induce a man to plead guilty to charges against him by undertaking not to produce evidence of alleged previous convictions was made in the Magistrate’s Court today.

Mr W. J. Meade, S.M., instructed the police prosecutor, Sergeant.D. E. Henderson, to bring the allegations, made by counsel, Mr P. A. Williams, to the notice of the officer in

charge of Auckland police. Mr Williams was appearing for Michael John Walshe, aged 28, an agent, who awaits sentence on five charges of

false pretences and one of attempted false pretences, to which he has pleaded guilty. Sergeant Henderson asked for a further remand in order to prove alleged previous con-

victions in Australia, which Walshe denied. Opposing the remand, Mr Williams said that, although allowed bail, Walshe had been unable to obtain a surety and had remained in custody during a series of remands, all but one of which had been asked for by the police. “A Detective Edwards approached me and said that if Walshe pleaded guilty, his previous convictions would not be raised. I told him there could be no bargaining, but conveyed the matter to the defendant. “Walshe would have pleaded guilty in spite of this assurance, but the Detective should not have made it, if he was unable to carry it out," Mr Williams said. “And when he discovered he could not carry it out he should have told us. His actions in making such an inducement were deprecable.” The Magistrate remanded Walshe to next Friday but said he would not undertake to sentence him then.