Kong case arguments heard in chambers

Press, 6 March 1984, Page 8

Kong case arguments heard in chambers

PA Timaru The jury in the Kong kidnapping case was sent home yesterday afternoon and the High Court at Timaru cleared of members of the public. The order came from Mr Justice Hillyer after discussions in chambers with the Crown prosecutor, Mr T. M. Gresson, and defence counsel, Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon. His Honour told the jury that there were matters that had to be considered in its absence and the attendance of jurors would not be required until at least this morning. The order came on the eleventh day of the trial of Paul Francis McFelin, aged 30, and Karen Mary McFelin, aged 23, on charges associated with the kidnapping of Gloria Kong on June 29 last year. The trial was originally expected to take two weeks but is now expected to last at least a month, and possibly longer. Evidence was given yes-

terday that in the 30 hours up to McFelin’s arrest on charges associated with the kidnapping, he spent nine hours in the company of detectives. Detective M. B. Galland said that McFelin had become a suspect for three reasons: his nervousness when spoken to three days earlier during routine inquiries; because he was a close associate of another suspect, David Larnach; and because of information brought to the attention of the police. Mr Galland said the information suggested that McFelin had been talking for some time of doing ‘a big job.” “I asked him if he had been involved and he replied ‘no way, that’s’not my style.’

“He then said he knew the Chinese too well to get involved in something like that,” Mr Galland said.

Under cross-examination from defence counsel, Mr Galland said McFelin had not been threatened or

abused during the seven hours he spent at the Oamaru police station on July 8.

Detective Sergeant A. E. Harris said that with other detectives he went to McFelin’s house at 11 p.m. on July 9.

Mr Harris said he outlined what the police knew of the kidnapping of Gloria Kong and invited responses from McFelin.

At one point when told that Gloria had been put in the back seat of her father’s car and driven away, McFelin had said that it was not true.

At another point he had said “it sounds incredible, it sounds like someone’s version of a fairy tale,” said Mr Harris. McFelin was taken to the police inquiry centre for further questioning and was also spoken to by two solicitors.

At 1 a.m. McFelin was arrested and charged with the kidnapping of Gloria Kong and the armed robbery of her father.