Threat to report lawyer

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33461, 16 February 1974, Page 1

Threat to report lawyer

The head of the Christchurch police district (Chief Superintendent G. Tait) yesterday threatened to report a lawyer to the Law Society for ‘‘a distortion of facts” about a newspaper article. The lawyer. Mr D. M. Palmer, referred to the article, printed in a Sunday newspaper, on Thursday at the trial of 80 motor-cyclists in Christchurch. Part of the article contained statements by Mr Tait. Mr Tait said the lawyer’s interpretation was “a distortion of facts.”

“At no time did I ever use the word ‘avalanche’ to refer to the mail I received before the arrests of the motorcyclists. In fact, the word was used in a completely different story from the interview with me, and was attributed to a Minister of the Crown. “What I did get, however, was an avalanche of mail and telephone calls after the motor-cyclists were arrested. I received letters from people in Auckland to the Bluff, and the telephone was red-hot with an avalanche of calls. “Another point concerns the mentally-retarded child. In her original statement to tije police, the mother said Str child had been frightened

i by the noise outside, and not by the police.” ! Mr Tait said two reporters ' from the Sunday newspaper 1 had interviewed Superintend- ’ ent R. P. Silk and himself about three days after the motor-cyclists were arrested. “The knew most of the facts before they ar- : rived, for example about ; canisters of gas being used, and about one of the motor- ; cyclists being bitten by a I police dog. “There were a lot of people milling about at the 1 scene, and these facts were i available from members of I the public as well as the I police.” .