Attempt to block parts of Thomas report

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 2

Attempt to block parts of Thomas report

PA Wellington The Police Assocation will try to block publication of those parts of the Thomas Commission report concerning the conduct of the police, when the report is issued later this week, according to the secretary of the Police Association (Dr R. A. Moodie). The commission’s report will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow or on Friday, according to the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay). About 5000 copies will go on sale through the Government Printer for about $6.50 once the report is tabled. Recommendations for compensation made by the commission are for Arthur Allan Thomas to be given more than $1 million; for Dr T. J. Sprott, who did much research work investigating the convictions of Mr Thomas, ta get $50,000; and for Mr Thomas’s former wife, Vivian, to get some money, but not the $36,320 she sought, the “Dominion’’ reports. Dr Moodie said that there appeared to be no legal means of stopping publication other than an approach direct to the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), and the association was now deciding whether to make that approach.

The association has decided on the step because it is one of /our parties which has appealed to the Court of Appeal against a High Court ruling of August 29.

The High Court ruled that the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the conviction of Arthur Allan Thomas for the Crewe murders had wrongly interpreted the effect and meaning of the Thomas pardon. The action was brought by the association, the Police Officers’ Guild, the former Detective Inspector Bruce Hutton and Detective SeniorSergeant Murray Jeffries.

But Dr Moodie said that the parties had appealed against another part of the High Court’s ruling, which found against the parties’ allegation that the Thomas Commission was “biased by predetermination” against the police. In the association’s opinion, publication of the parts in the report referring to police conduct during the Thomas trials should be withheld until the parties’ appeal had been dealt with, Dr Moodie said.

One of the policemen involved in the Crewe murder inquiry 7 might not have been completely honest, Dr Moodie said. Referring to the cartridge case found at the Crewe farmhouse, he said: “I have not been able to remove from my mind the fear that one of the people involved in the inquirv was not completely honest.” Dr Moodie said he did hot question the honesty of Inspector Hutton or other senior officers involved in the case — the men he suspected the commission would wrongly criticise.