Court told of plot to kill P.M.

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 2

Court told of plot to kill P.M.

PA Wellington, A socialist plot was' batched in Australia to assassinate the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon). it was alleged in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington yesterday. Detective Sergeant Mervyn Anthony Theobald said be had questioned Gary Graeme Haugh, aged 22, a sickness beneficiary, who was charged with threatening on May 6 to kill Mr Muldoon.

Haugh denied the charge? He further denied a charge of j attempting to obtain $l5OOl from the Dominion headquar-; ters of the National Party by faisely representing that 1 he would supply information regarding threats to the Prime Minister’s life.

The Magistrate said he was satisfied that both charges had been proved beyond reasonable doubt. He convicted Haugh and remanded him in custody to June 16 for a probation report and sentence.

Mr Theobald said the accused told him that he had recently been to Australia and had met three persons there who had a “contract” to assassinate Mr Muldoon. Mr Theobald said the accused told him that two of these persons were a Peter Hull and an Archie Buller. The accused had said they fad been offered a substantial sum of money by a John Halfpenny, a leader of the socialists in Australia. Mr Theobald said the ac-i cused told him that the hitman was in New Zealand to do the job. He and Buller (the arms-man) were work-! ing at a Lower Hutt factory, and staying at the "Captain Cook Hotel.”

They were going to “do I the job” that week-end (May J 7 and 8). The witness said the ac-! cused told him that a sub-' stantial sum of money was; being paid but the accused; wduld not give a figure. The police orosecutc , Mr R. N. Hawke, said that a call had been made at 2.45 p.m. on May H to the news-! paper “Truth” unde; its *‘se-l cret witness” scheme. "The caller said that he 1 knew that a person had been ’ paid by a prominent person' to kill Mr Muldoon.” said! Mr Hawke. Later that day, a person I had telephoned the Dominion; headquarters of the National! Party and said that a man] had been paid a considerable! amount of money “to kill' Muldoon” and an attempt would be made on his life. The caller wanted $l5OO for the information, said Mr Hawke. He said that arrangements were made for the caller to] be paid at 5 p.m. outside the; Majestic Theatre, when al courier would hand over an| envelope with the informa- j tion.

A tape-recording was made of a conversation with the caller.

The courier was appre-l handed by the police when; be arrived at the theatre. A letter handed over by the courier was examined and the defendant's fingerprints were found on it. After the courier had been apprehended, further telephone calls were made to the National Party and Radio Windy, “The caller said, 'Unless you release our man. a Cabi-

net Minister or Muldoon will he dead by Monday’.” said IMr Hawke.

; T ater that night, a further iCall was made in which the j caller said. "Make no mis.take. Mr Muldoc or a Cabinet Minister will be dead by I the morning.”

When interviewed by the pol'e in a city hotel later

That night, the accused allegedly said that if he had found Mr Muldoon he would have killed him. Mr Hawke said that when being interviewed by police, the accused had allegedly said, “What can I say? ft was just a hoax anyway.” Russel Gault, editor of

“Truth”, said that he received a call from a person on May 6 wishing to supply information under the paper’s “secret witness” scheme.

The caller said that he knew of a plan to kill Mr Muldoon and wanted $l5OO for the information. The caller said that he icould supply the name of the man with the “contract” and the hotel room in which he was staying.

Mr Gault said that the calle, said the person had recently served a long prison term in Australia and had been deported.

The caller told Mr Gault, "Either you pay the money or Muldoon gets it.” Mr Gault said that the caller’s voice was deliberate and sinister.

There was no evidence of slurring of words. “He certainly did not give the impression that he had been drinking,” said Mr Gault. To defence counsel (Mr M. A. Bungay), Mr Gault said that the caller said there were some powerful people behind him. The caller would not say who these persons were.

Mr Murray McCully, of the Dominion headquarters of the National Party, said that he received a cal) on May 6 from a person who said he was an Australian. fhe caller said that he knew of a man who had served a prison term for manslaughter, and that man had been paid a sum of money to kill Mr Muldoon. The caller said that he would supply the name and whereabouts of the assassin. The witness arranged with the caller to telephone later that day.

When the man called back the witness, in the presence of detectives, tapped the telephon conversation. The caller said that he wanted $l5OO to supply information about the threat On Mr Muldoon and arranged with the witness for a man to deliver the information in an envelope. The courier would deliver an envelope outside the Majestic Theatre at 5 p.m. in exchange for $l5OO. The courier would be wearing a black coat and green scarf.