11 discharged over rugby tour ‘sit-in’

Press, 20 October 1981, Page 5

11 discharged over rugby tour ‘sit-in’

Eleven persons who were to have stood trial on a charge of unlawfully detaining property as a result of an anti-Springbok rugby tour ‘■sit-in" at the National Party headquarters. Lichfield Street, in September, have been discharged by Judge Fraser in the District Court.

The discharge was made under provisions of Section 347 of the Crimes Act. The defendants were: Kathleen Mary Baker, aged 21, a social worker: Mary Madeleine Baker, aged 50, a houswife: Mirla Edmundson, aged 45. a mother; Bruce Halliday Flyger, aged 60, a factory worker, Marian Lesley Hobbs, aged 33, a

teacher; Anne Lorraine Kolff, aged 21. a trust worker; Rosemarie Elizabeth Long, aged 32. a mother;. Patricia Moira Moore, aged 21, a student; Sharilyn Suzanne Sadlier. aged 31, a cleaner: Richard James Tasker, aged 28, unemployed, and John Lancelot Wooles, aged 33, a renovator.

The 11 . had previously elected trial by jury on the charge that, being in possession of the National Party offices without colour of right they detained the premises in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace, or a reasonable apprehension of a breach of the peace.

They, had been committed for trial after a depositions hearing. ~ . Counsel for four of the defendants. Messrs S. C. Barker and M. J. Knowles, sought a discharge. The Judge said he agreed with Crown counsel (Mr S. G. Erber) that there was no evidence disclosed in the de-

positions that the detaining was in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace, or apprehension of it. Breach of the peace involved not mere inconvenience, disturbance, or annoyance, but conduct such as likely to lead to physical violence, or reasonable apprehension of it, he said.