Police search led to brawl

Press, 8 December 1976, Page 5

Police search led to brawl

A brawl involving eleven policemen and youths at 167 Edinburgh Street, Spreydon, in October, had a sequel in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Donald Cameron Forrester, Jeffrey Paul Sutton, Paul Leonard Dennis, and John Peter Diggle each pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting the police on October 30. The incident arose when three policemen visited the youths’ home in Edinburgh Street with a search warrant. The police were looking for an assortment of weapons taken in a house burglary. Two police constables tried to enter the upstairs part of the house where the accused lived. Eight or nine youths gathered at the front door and when the police produced their search warrant, Sutton ripped it up. The constables ’ were repeatedly punched and hit about the face and body when they entered the premises. Detective Constable S. M. Dunn was dragged into an adjacent lounge and held in a headlock over an armchair. The constables broke free, and called for further assistance. Detective G. F. Stebbings arrived with members of the uniform branch. "The occupants shouted abuse, obscenities and threats and began brandishing weapons that they had armed themselves

with,” said Detective Constable B. T. Raffan. After twice ordering the youths to disarm themselves, I Detective Stebbings broke! down the front door and the police entered the house. Policemen said in evidence that the defendants hit them with metal stands, pipes, table legs, and crutches. The youths were arrested. When the police searched the property at Edinburgh Street, the stolen firearms sought in the search warrant ■ were found. Ammunition, three hypodermic syringes and needles, and a stethoscope were amongst other property discovered. i The four accused were ! known drug addicts, said Detective Stebbings. The police surgeon (Dr M. F. ■ Fahey) said that he found evidence of heroin usage in three of the youths. Diggle, was taking three heroin cap-' sules daily, he said. The! other yodth, Dennis, was re-: covering from infective hepatitis. Dr Fahev said that the in-! juries received by one constable and the accused were not serious. However, Detective Raffan suffered a fractured wrist in the brawl. Messrs E. L. Tinker and L. C. Eaman, Justices of the Peace, ruled that a prima facie case had been established. They allowed the four I youths bail until the Supreme Court trial on Febru!ary 2.