Thomas petition to Governor-General

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33527, 7 May 1974, Page 3

Thomas petition to Governor-General

(.Yen Zealand Press AssorratiOH 1 AUCKLAND, May 6. Arthur Allan Thomas today sought the quashing of his Crewe murder convictions on the ground that “fresh, cogent and compelling evidence” proved that he was wrongly convicted at his two trials.

In a petition to the i Governor-General (Sir Denis Blundell) he restated his innocence and 1 asked for a ruling on '“new evidence” detailed , in attached affidavits j and exhibits. j i The petition is a sequel to;i [a special study of the Thomas; lease by Pat Booth, assistant' (editor of the “Auckland Star,”!’ ■and a year-long investigation! ;of key Crown scientific evi-f 'deuce by Dr T. .1. Sprott. de-

fence scientific adviser, and.. Mr Booth. Arthur Thomas named i these two men and their findings in his petition. The petition was presented' to Sir Denis Blundell this; morning in Auckland by Mr G. Ryan, representing the Thomas defence counsel, j Messrs P. A. Williams and K. Ryan. ' With him were Thomas’s parents. Mr and Mrs Allan Thomas, of Matakana. his( I wife. Vivien, and Mr P. ; Vesey, chairman of the Arthur Thomas Re-trial Committee, Dr Sprott, and Mr • Booth. Arthur Thomas was conjvicted a second time in April, ; 1973, on a charge of the mur- ■ der of Jeanette and Harvey ■ Crewe in Pukekawa in 1970. No details j No details of the “new evidence” cited in his petition and detailed in the. affidavits (have been disclosed. Today’s application was ■lodged under section 406 of (the Crimes Act, 1961, which allows the Governor-Genera! ■ the prerogative of mercy in I such applications and includes (the opportunity for him to 'refer such an application to

The Court of Appeal for its opinion. ! Mr Allan Thomas, aged 66. rose well before dawn today to tend to the 850 pigs on the Matakana property he sharefarms and be back for an ’early breakfast. Then he went with his wife to Government House in Auckland for The presentation of the petition. Mr and Mrs Thomas, sen.. are paying the legal costs of This petition and any subsequent hearing — $BOOO. The first trial and appeal in 1971 cost them, in all. $7500. ’ The second trial defence was made on legal aid from ithe State, and Dr T. J. Sprott has made no charge for more ’than a year’s scientific invesjtigation and extensive travel. Thousands of dollars have been raised and spent by the Thomas Re-trial Committee in campaigning and investigation before the second trial, jand since. Fast packer.—Mrs D. Cole, of Waimea Growers, won the Apple and Pear Board trophy and the national women’s apple packing championship at Nelson. She was the quickest to pack a standard export case.—(P.A.).