Hostage hurt as siege ends

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 9

Hostage hurt as siege ends

NZPA Sydney A siege at Marrickville in Sydney’s inner suburbs ended early yesterday when the police rushed a gunman who had held a young hostage for more than 14 hours.

The hostage David Troughton, aged 23, a psychiatric nurse was shot twice in the arm just before the police made their move. He was not badly hurt. He crawled out of the house moments before the police apprehended the gunman about 1.10 a.m. (Aust, time) yesterday. The 38-year-old Greek gunman had been holed up in the house with the hostage since early Sunday and had refused all suggestions from his wife, relatives, a Greek Orthodox priest, and psychiatrists that he give himself up. He told the police he had doused his hostage with pet-

tol and would set him alight if any attempt was made to rush the house. The police said they knew they were dealing with a “deranged man with a background of psychiatric disturbances.” Hundreds of people watching the seige had to be kept back from the house by a police cordon. There was almost a carnival atmosphere as people chattered and jostled each other for front-row spots when TV cameras were turned on them. Shop-keep-ers moved among the onlookers, selling drinks and chips from trolleys. Later yesterday morning Aristogenes Papakanstaninou, a builder, appeared in court on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, and malicious wounding. A magistrate refused bail and said he was prepared to order psychiatric treatment.