Twelfth arrest in 'Mr Asia' case

Press, 10 April 1980, Page 3

Twelfth arrest in 'Mr Asia' case

NZPA London The Lancashire police have arrested a twelfth man in the “Mr Asia” drugs and) murder case. I After a hunt of several months, detectives arrestedi Sylvester Alphonsus Pidgeon' in London on April 3 and escorted him back to Chorley, the Lancashire town] near which the body of the drugs boss, Martin John-) stone, was found last Octo-' ber.

Pidgeon, aged 38, and believed to be a British national of Irish extraction, is still in police custody. He has been charged only with conspiracy against Britain’s drug laws — the charge already faced by all 11 others, including three New Zealanders: Alexander Sinclair,! aged 34, Karen Soich, aged 23, and Erroll HincksmanJ aged 31. He had been sought by the police since late last year, and his arrest is believed to mean that the Lan-' cashire police no longer seek anybody in connection with Johnstone’s killing. Pidgeon was formallycharged on April 5 and ap-i peared briefly in a specially convened session of the Magistrate’s Court on Mon-) day. He was remanded in: police custody to today, when he will appear with the 11 others on their regular weekly remand. Five of the accused, including Sinclair, face charges of murdering Johnstone and conspiring to murder him. ; Committal proceedings against the 11 are due to' start on May 19, and be- 1 cause the evidence is so closely linked it is believed that the prosecution will seek to have Pidgeon committed for trial at the same time. Johnstone’s mutilated body was found last October in a flooded quarry near Chorley, weighted to the bottom. It was not identified until late November, after which a series of arrests resulted.