Lawyer critical of media and police

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 2

Lawyer critical of media and police

Criticism of the news, media, the police, and the people of Waipara about thei publicity generated over the Church of the Full Gospel' was made by a Christchurch lawyer in the Magistrate’s; Court yesterday. Mr G. R. Lascelles, who' appeared for two sect member charged with offences under the Arms Act, said that as a result of the comments made and information ‘ floated, the public had been brought to a pitch of con-, tern "quite unjustified, it will be found, by what itl has so far been led to be-l lieve.” The two men for whom Mr Lascelles acts. Brian Cecil Haslett, aged 27, and; George Lloyd Claxton, aged 26. are each charged that on! June 3 at Christchurch they, were in possession of seven! containers of shotgun and nfie powder. 17 boxes of. 222 ammuniticn. and two pump-action shotguns, with- j out lawful and proper pur-’ po«e Both men were remanded without plea to June 17. Mr Lascelles told Mr K W. Frampton. S.M.. that he

i.wished to comment because, : of the publicity attaching to I 11 some of the circumstances! ■ affecting the cases, and be-j I i cause justice itself was in- i i voiced. I "I am concerned for my' clients that a considerable; >■ amount of information ofj • possible relevance to the! present charges has. I am; I reliably informed, been com-; municated to the news' .media by the police,” he! i'said. | "Names have been men-; tioned of decent citizens; who have so far not been; I charged with any offence! '.and who have had no oppor-! i tunity of properly rebutting! the damaging insinuations. l| “111-founded gossip and ru-i mours have caused great; concern to good citizens and; j their families who are being j tried for no offence by some of the news media.” Mr Las-p celles said. "I hope that thinking!, people will reserve judg-( ment until, in any appro-!; priate cases, they have., ■heard both sides. !, "So far as the good people-j of Waipara are concerned,! they can rest assured that;,

instead of hanging gibbets] land keeping children from; (school, they could be more! ■j profitably employed working; Jas constructively and as] ] decently as most of those: "they condemn.” :| Mr Lascelles said that the i schoolteachers named had! ' been charged with no ofit fence other than the holding of religious beliefs different (from those of their presum-; ■'ab'.v Christian neighbours. . The Magistrate, in remanding both defendants, (said that the Court would ideal with matters that came; ‘I before it solely on the infor-; ! mation contained in the : charges.