Flying tackle halts escaper

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33626, 30 August 1974, Page 1

Flying tackle halts escaper

(N’cw Zealand Press Assocmtlon) DUNEDIN, August 29. An alert hank teller and a pedestrian with a talent for Hying tackles combined to help capture a I‘aparua Prison escaper in the (Antral Otago township of Roxburgh today.

This afternoon. a man entered the Bank of New Zealand branch I in Roxburgh and cashed a cheque. A teller recognised the cheque as one from a stolen cheque hook believed to he in the possession of (Noel Kenneth Morgan, aged 20, who had been the subject of a wide search after his escape from Paparua Prison last Friday.

! The bank immediately' notified the police and as! Morgan was getting into a parked car in the main street 1 he was arrested. The car was driven by a woman who had 1 taken Morgan for a bone fide hitch-hiker. Just outside the main door of the Roxburgh police station Morgan broke away from his escort but was then brought down in a flying tackle by a passing pedestrian Mr Alistair Yoeman, aged 21.

“It was one of the finest tackles I have seen in many a year,” said Constable J. Pierce, who made the arrest. When searched, Morgan was found to have a bayonet in his possession.

i The arrest brought to an end a police search that had spread to most parts of the lower South Island.

Last Saturday night. Moi gan crashed his car through a police road block at WashI dvke after a high speed road ‘chase which began at Ashbui ! ton. Morgan abandoned bis ! stolen car at Timaru. and it Jis believed that he then made off in another stolen car after a fruitless search of [ the town by police.

Police had issued a “strong” warning to the public about the escaper. He will appear in the Dunedin Magistrate’s Court tomorrow'.