Police at dental clinic again

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 2

Police at dental clinic again

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 29. Plinunerton School, near Wellington, was the scene of intensive police activity today for the second time in four months.

Police inquiries will continue tomorrow after a report by the school’s dental nurse, Miss Patricia Braddock, that she was attacked by a man this morning. After being X-rayed, Miss Braddock was discharged from Wellington Hospital this afternoon. Miss Braddock told the police that the man, aged about 30 and well dressed, posed as a detective investigating a burglary in the clinic last week. He asked for a packet of hypodermic needles, which, he said, were wanted to conduct an urgent experiment. She handed them over and was then hit on the cheek with a weapon of some kind, said Miss Braddock. Earlier incidents

On November 24, Miss Braddock, aged 21, reported that she had been held up by an armed, half-naked man who took some anaesthetics. The man was not found, in spite of Intensive police inquiries and searches in the area. Before the hold-up the clinic had been burgled of ethyl alcohol and needles, ana Miss Braddock had received mysterious telephone calls. Detective Senior-Sergeant P. H. Berryman, officer in charge of the Porirua police, said today that similar occurrences had been reported before the latest incident. The clinic had been burgled

last Tuesday night, a mess made and a bottle of ethyl alcohol taken. On Wednesday, Miss Braddock reported having had a telephone call from a man who asked how she liked the mess. She did not reply and hung up, said Mr Berryman. Hypodermic needles of the type involved could be obtained at any chemist, he said.