Notices ‘were not served’

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 6

Notices ‘were not served’

PA Wellington It was common knowledge among the court staff and supervisors in April, 1981, that minor offence notices of staff generally did not get served, the District Court at Wellington heard yesterday. Detective J. Patterson testified that Michael Peter Waluszewski, an assistant deputy registrar, had been asked if he knew what was going on with the staff minor offence notices in that they were being filed instead of sending them out by regis--tered letter. He said that Waluszewski had replied: “When I first came to court in April, 1981, I worked in the civil section and it was common knowledge between all staff, bosses right through, that minor offence notices of staff did not get generally served.”

Waluszewski, aged 25, and

three other Justice Department clerks at the District Court are charged with conspiring to prevent the course of justice.

The others are Kevin Joseph McGlinchey, aged 24, Linda Ann McQuade, aged 24, and David John Thompson, aged 26. They are charged with conspiring with one another between June 22, 1981, and August 7 this year to prevent or defeat the course of justice by interfering with proper court procedures in relation to minor offence notices filed by the Ministry of Transport in court in respect of parking offences committed by one another and other persons.

The taking of depositions will end today. Judge Pain will then decide whether a prima facie case has been established against the defendants.