Police answer to widow

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 6

Police answer to widow

The Christchurch police have reacted against criticism of their handling of the disappearance at sea of a Christchurch seaman, Francis George Jacobson. The criticism, by Mr Jacobson’s widow was unjustified, said the acting head of the Christchurch police district (Chief Superintendent E. G. Perry) last evening, after the news had been released that a fellow seaman had been charged with the murder of Mr Jacobson. Mrs Shirley Jacobson was reported on Friday as saying she was unhappy about the information she had been given by the police.

She said she had been told by the Seamen’s Union that her husband was presumed! lost overboard, but had not

been aware of any police investigation until she read about it in the newspaper. Mr Perry said that the information available to the police was “vague and sketchy,” because of obvious communication difficulties. He said that any information given to Mrs Jacobson before the police investigation might have caused her unnecessary distress.

He said that Mrs Jacobson had been told by the shipping 'company that her husband was missing, and subsequently that a search at sea had failed to find him. “The information was conveyed to her as soon as it was available to us,” he said. The Police Department coniveyed its condolences to Mrs Jacobson,