Boy snatched again

Press, 21 January 1984, Page 1

Boy snatched again

NZPA-AAP Sydney The Australian Federal police intercepted a young New Zealand man at Sydney’s international airport yesterday after he had snatched his 14-month-old boy from the child’s mother for the second time, the Supreme Court was told.

The Court was told that Bradley John Sinclair, of Whangarei, had first taken the baby across the Tasman on December 18. He had removed the child, Brock, from the Sydney area home of the mother, Cathy Lee-Marie Buckley, aged 22, while her attention was distracted. On December 23, in the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Clarke awarded custody of

Brock to Miss Buckley and ordered Sinclair not to take him out of New South Wales. Mr Justice Reynolds was told yesterday that Miss Buckley and her mother went to New Zealand on January 4 with Mr Justice Clarke’s orders.

They took Brock back to Australia after getting him away from his father in Whangarei by a trick. Early yesterday the father had again taken the child from Miss Buckley’s home.

When she noticed Brock was missing she notified the police and the father and child were detained at Sydney airport. This had saved the child from his third trip across the Tasman. Sinclair at first refused to

hand Brock over and another Supreme Court Judge, Mr Justice Rodgers, had issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Sinclair later handed the child to his mother at the airport and the warrant was not served.

When he appeared voluntarily before Mr Justice Reynolds later, Sinclair said he had not been notified of the orders.

Mr Justice Reynolds told him that if he wished to challenge Miss Buckley’s custody of the child he should seek legal advice. The Judge continued the orders made by Mr Justice Clarke and warned Sinclair he could be sent to prison if he disobeyed them.