Policeman describes talk with Shaking’ accused

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 4

Policeman describes talk with Shaking’ accused

PA Timaru One of the alleged kidnappers of Gloria Kong was shaking so much while being spoken to by the police six days after the abduction that he had difficulty lighting a cigarette, the High Court at Timaru heard yesterday. A detective said that Paul Francis McFelin had been cheerful before he knew he was talking to a policeman, but his demeanour had changed after the detective introduced himself. “He sat in a chair and his hands were shaking to such ah extent that he could not hold the match to the cigarette and it took three matches to light it,” said Detective R. G. Palmer who said he had spoken to about 100 people about the kidnapping. McFelin, aged 30, and Karen Mary McFelin, aged 23, are charged with detaining Gloria Kong without consent; with intent to hold her for ransom; with intent to facilitate the kidnapping did by violent means render James Kong and others incapable of resisting; breaking and entering the Kong house; and unlawfully taking a motor-vehicle. Paul McFelin is charged also with the armed robbery of Mr Kong. Messrs T. M. Gresson and G. D. Pearson are appearing for the Crown and Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon (Christchurch)

and Mrs L. O. Smither (Auckland) for the McFelins. Interviewing Paul McFelin on July 5, Detective Palmer said that he asked McFelin who the kidnappers might be and he replied there was no-one “big enough” around Oamaru to try it. McFelin had said that if there was going to be a kidnapping he thought the children of Martin Joe, another Chinese market gardener, might have been the targets. This was because Mr Joe had more money readily available as he ran a roadside stall. McFelin had said he realised he had a reputation with the Oamaru police for selling drugs, but he denied this, although he admitted smoking cannabis, Detective Palmer said. “He said a lot of people were jumping around here now. Everyone’s got skeletons in their cupboards,” he said. “As I was about to leave I said to him, ‘So you’re not our kidnapper, then.’ He laughed and said, ‘No mate, not me, not likely’,” Detective Palmer said. The Court also heard yesterday that Gloria Kong was showing the early signs of exposure when she managed to escape about 36 hours after her abduction. Detective-Sergeant N. R. Scott said that he had gone to the Ardgowan home of

Mrs Marion Nicol with Mr Kong after Gloria Kong had rung her family on July 1. She was dressed only in light clothing and was distressed, dirty and dishevelled, and extremely cold, he said. He said that Gloria Kong was having difficulty speaking, her skin was of a blue colouring, and her movement impaired. “She looked like she had been dragged through a gorse bush,” said Sergeant Scott. Mrs Nicol told the Court of Gloria Kong having arrived at her place and ringing her father. While waiting for his arrival, she endeavoured to talk with her, but conversation was difficult. Mrs Nicol said that Gloria Kong did not want anything to eat or drink and was unresponsive and cold. Detective R. T. G. Ealam, of Christchurch, said that he searched the hay bam where Gloria Kong had spent the night of June 30. She had been placed in an area Im deep by Im long and %m wide. The farmer owning the hay bam, Mr William Donald Gibson, said that at the time of the kidnapping, he was taking hay from the building every second day. Everything had seemed in order on the morning of June 30, and he did not return to the barn until the next afternoon when taken there by the police.

Mr Gibson said that Gloria Kong had been situated in the hay bam where he would not have gone to for hay until this winter.

A friend of the convicted kidnappers, David Larnach and Paul George, completed her evidence earlier yesterday and she denied being involved in the plan to abduct Gloria Kong. Janice Mary Gillies said she felt let down that the house she was renting had been used during the kidnapping and while she was away in Christchurch. Detective G. D. Church, of Oamaru, said that both George and Miss Gillies had been interviewed in connection with the theft of $6OOO from a van between Dunedin and Oamaru early last June. He said Miss Gillies had been a possible witness and George “an obvious suspect” as he had been the driver of the courier van. Detective Church said that the theft remained unsolved. The trial was scheduled to last two weeks, but the second week will be completed today, with the Crown still well short of completing its case. Mr Justice Hillyer and the jury of seven women and five men have heard evidence from 50 of the 80 witnesses that the Crown expects to call. Indications are that the trial will go into a fourth week.