Stub-axle find on Thomas farm under scrutiny

Press, 12 August 1980, Page 3

Stub-axle find on Thomas farm under scrutiny

pA ‘ r Auckland The Royal • Commission of Inquiry' on tfie Thomas case continued 'sitting in public yesterday afternoon after a closed session lasting days. Continuing his evidence, Inspector Bruce Parkes said that he . watched while the late Detective Johnston found some stub-axles on a tip at the Thomas farm on October 20, 1970. Detective Johnston drew the inference that they might belong to the axle found with Harvey Crewe’s body. - They did not tell Mrs Thomas (wife of Arthur Allen Thomas) that they had found the stub-axles and intended to remove them, although it was normal .practice to do so. -. The witness said he- did not know why Detective Johnston did not tell Mrs Thomas. As far as he was concerned there was no secrecy about taking the stubaxles away. Mr Thomas had indicated they could take what they needed from his farm. The stub-axles were taken to the Crewe farm and washed. Inspector Parkes said he could only assume that Detective Johnston wanted to have a clearer look at the stubs “because his inference was growing.” The stubs were not washed to keep,the police car clean. Mr M. Crew, counsel assisting the commission: Why did you go to the Crewe farm, in the opposite direction to the Otahuhu police station?

Witness: Yes, but in the direction of other people we wished to see. Inspector Parkes said the tip at the Thomas farm was still in use, but nothing much covered the stub-axles. He had a faint recollection that one was partly exposed. Back at the Otahuhu police station the stub-axles were matched up with the axle. It was decided a full search would be made of the tip the next day. Mr Justice Taylor: Do you know Johnston had been to the tip before? Witness: No.

I cannot understand why the big search took place on October 21. — To find anything else there might be. But you had found the big thing (the stub-axles) the day before, within 10 minutes of going to the tip? — Yes. It was 10 to 15 minutes.

Inspector Parkes said a steel draw-bar was found on October 21. Detective Johnston, to his knowledge, was not present on that day. He said that on October 23 he interviewed Mr Thomas sen. up north. He asked him if he sould go to his farm and go through his cheque butts for any records

related to the repair or, other work done to his trailer. Mr Thomas sen. said that! he could. i Inspector Parkes said thatl before going through the' butts he found Richard Thomas, a son of Mr Thomas, sen., and took him with him to Mr Thomas sen’s Matakana farm, on October 24. Inspector Parkes said he could not go into Mr Thomas senior’s house on his own. He said he recorded documents taken. Had he taken a cheque book butt showing payment to al Mr Rasmussen for renov-l ation of the trailer, he was sure he would have noted it. I He could not answer for what Detective Johnston might, have taken. He should, he said, have given a . receipt to Richard Thomas for items taken, but he did not recall one being issued at any stage of the inquiry. “All I can say,” he told the commission, “is that it was a matter of trust. At that stage I had no belief that anything would go astray.” It was not normal police practice to issue receipts. To Mr P. A. Williams, fori

i Mr Thomas, Inspector Parkes agreed it was pecu- | liar that an important butt | was not found. Mr Rasmussen had been interviewed before October 24. The witness said he was not specifically looking for that butt alone. Mr Thomas sen’s records were not particularly tidy. Mr Williams said that, while the police denied having the important Rasmussen butt, Mr Thomas sen. said they had taken it, and he believed it recorded the I trade-in of the’ old axle and I stub-axles on the trailer during its renovation. Mr Williams: Why not 50 to Mr Thomas sen., say j there was a cheque book i missing, and ask him to make a careful search for it? Witness: I don’t know whether Detective Johnston specifically asked him for it or not. If, on the other hand, the cheque butt had been obtained by the police, they would not have requested it? — Yes, it would have been an important exhibit. Inspector Parkes said that at the time he spoke to the Thomas family nobody was sure what had happened to I the old bits of the trailer.