Policeman shown with brick

Press, 17 May 1980, Page 12

Policeman shown with brick

NZPA' London A constable with Unit No. 1 of the police Special Patrol Group had hit a man in the face twice while holding a brick in his hand, the inquest into the death of the New Zealander, Blair Peach, was told on Thursday. A photograph showing the constable holding the brick and the prisoner, who had the charges against him dismissed at his trial, holding his head in his hands, were shown to the jury hearing evidence for the ninth day of the inquest. Earlier, the Hammersmith Coroner’s Court had heard how a veteran S.P.G. constable had panicked when investigating officers had searched the lockers of Unit No. 1 and had tried to hide a cosh in the pocket of his parka. Constable Raymond White said he had tried to hide the cosh after being warned of the arrival of the officers who made the internal investigation into Mr Peach’s death. The small, lead-weighted, leather-bound cosh and a stockwhip had been in his locker “for some years”. He said he had acquired them as souvenirs of a visit to the United States in 1969. Constable White said it was no secret that the items were in the station, although other witnesses had denied seeing them. The inquest also heard how the drivers of both the S.P.G. Unit No. 1 “carriers” where Mr Peach was fatally that went down the road injured during the Southall riot on April 23 last year denied they had piqked up officers who had told the Court in earlier [testimony that they loaded prisoners into one of the vans.