Objections to ‘animal treatment — handcuffs’

Press, 10 January 1981, Page 5

Objections to ‘animal treatment — handcuffs’

NZPA Lancaster An alleged international drug syndicate boss, Alexander Sinclair, yesterday appealed to the “Mr Asia” trial judge not to be treated “like an animal.”

Sinclair, aged 36, formerly Terry Clark, ?,nd Gisborne-born who is charged with murdering his former associate, Martyn Johnstone, was objecting to being handcuffed to a prison officer each time he was led into the dock at Lancaster Castle and again ?,s he left All the defendants with the exception of three, including Karen Soich, aged 24, who are on bail, are handcuffed to prison officers as they enter and leave the court from the prison in another part of the ce.stle where they are being kept in custody. Appealing to the judge through his counsel, Mr Robin Simpson, Q.C., Sinclair asked to be released from the handcuffs as he entered the courtroom, rather than having to be led “manacled” to the dock.

“He simply asked that before he comes into your court, if necessary just outside your court, the manacles be removed so that he can, in his own words, come into court ‘like a man and not an animal,’ ” Mr Simpson told Mrs Justice Rose Heilbron.

“I make no a.pology if that sounds emotive,” Mr Simpson said. “That is what he feels.”

The plea was rejected by Mrs Justice Heilbron who said she had no more control over the prison officers than she had over the way in which the police conducted their investigations. “We all he.ve separate functions,” she said. “I understand the feelings of Mr Sinclair ... I am quite sure they (the prison officers) don’t do it simply because they like handcuffs.”

Saying she had no specific objections to the removal of the handcuffs, the Judge said, “if it is possible for it to be done, I would not discourage it, but I don’t feel I can interfere.”