Officer was called a simpleton, Court told

Press, 10 April 1978, Page 4

Officer was called a simpleton, Court told

PA Wellington Robert Jones called a traffic officer a simpleton in a letter to the Lower Hutt City-Council’s traffic department, the Supreme Court at Wellington heard. Counsel, Mr T. Castle, said this in cross-examining a witness on behalf of his client, Kenneth McLeod, a traffic officer who is suing Mr Jones for $32,000 for alleged defamation. The remark referred to another officer, not Mr McLeod.

Mr McLeod’s action centres on a radio broadcast in August, 1975.

Mr Jones, described in Court as retired, but better known as a property developer, counter-claims $15,000 for alleged unlawful detention.

Renee Beryl Hall, a fashion model, said in crossI examination that the car she iand Mr Jones were travelling in one August 25, 1975, when they they were stopped by two traffic officers was one she had the use of. She was shown a letter written by Mr Jones to the Lower Hutt City traffic department. It concerned an attempt to serve a traffic summons on her at Mr

Jones’s home and in it he described her as an “occaisional guest.” Mr Castle: Occasional . means irregular or infrequent? Nuss Hall: Yes. i That was a totally in,l accurate description? — At (the time, I was not in the (house. I put it to you it was a totally inaccurate description? Probably, yes. Is that not indicative of Mr Jones’ attitude to traffic authorities? — No, I wouldn’t say that. Mr Castle said that Mr Jones in his letter described one of the Lower Hutt traffic officers as a simpleton.

11 Is that not also indicative lof his attitude to traffic -authorities? Miss Hall: No. Mr Jones was very indignant that Traffic Officer Ruane had stopped him on j that night? — No, he wasn’t. II was.

I Is it not correct that Mr | Jones called out across you (to Traffic Officer Ruane to “Go on, give me a ticket?” No. Mr Ruane said: Your warant has expired. I shall write you a (ticket for it’.” When he (Mr Jones) went (on the broadcast a few minutes after the incident he

was very strong, wasn’t he? — He was very upset

Very strong in his expressions? — I suppose (you could say that. He | spoke what he thought, I (suppose. Nicholas Theodorou, a company representative, of (Rintoul Street, Wellington, , said that on the night of May 21 he was stopped by JMr McLeod in Manners (Street. Mr McLeod accused (him of having driven through a red light. Mr Theodorou said they had a discussion during which Mr McLeod became abusive. His manner was brusque. Witness said Mr McLeod called ’ him “a bloody foreigner” and accused him of making money illegally.

Asked about a statement made by Mr McLeod in evidence that witness had threatened to put a $lOOO contract on him and that that had provoked a remark, made jokingly, about his (witness) being a member of the Mafia, Mr Theodorou said that that was not true.

To Mr Castle, witness denied that he had driven along Taranaki Street on the wrong side and at excessive speed up Manners Street. He agreed that he was intoxicated when stopped.