One step ahead of the police

Press, 30 June 1982, Page 18

One step ahead of the police

The amazing story of Ronald Biggs, a fugitive whose fiight. to freedom has taken him to the other side of the world from his native Britain, will be screened on Two at 10.45 p.m. on Friday. As one of a gang of 17. he took part in the world's most daring hold-up — the. $7 million robbery of a Glas-gow-to-London train. In this documentary Biggs tells the story of his crime - his escape from jail and the around-the-world chase that has kept him one step ahead of the police. Smuggling film footage out of Brazil was probably the most dramatic aspect of the documentary by the awardwinning producer. Barry Sloane, because unless the world's most on-the-run

criminal told his story to the cameras. Sloane had no show. Biggs, under Brazilian law, was not supposed to be featured on film, his listed production role being "translator" for Sloane's supposed “tourist film" on Rio de Janeiro and its environs — at least that was what the clapper board said when the .police came to watch filming. The documentary includes footage shot in England, including the hold-up area, the remote farmhouse (where proceeds of the robbery were divided by the gang) and the courtroom where the robbers were sentenced for up to 30 years, and in Australia at the iMelbourne home of B iggs's former wife.. Charmain.

Biggs relates details of what he alleges was a double-cross by a London newspaper. Colin Mckenzie. the first journalist to get to Biggs, appears on the film, as does London "Daily Express" executive. lan McColl, a dour Scotsman who admits he was the one who tipped off Scotland Yard about Biggs's whereabouts as soon a> Mckenzie set up the deal. Of his 5292.000 share in the robbery, Biggs claims that nothing is left and that he picks up pin money by "journalism now and then." and by playing the beer market at Carnival time when it is scarce, parlaying $lOO into $l5O by shrewd brew uying and timely selling. The producer denies any financial dealings with the fugitive, who says he will be

perfectly happy to return to Britain when his son is 18. and face the music. Still free and "exiled" in Brazil. Ronald Biggs has been a wanted criminal for more than 13 years.