Verdicts likely today in conspiracy trial

Press, 8 February 1985, Page 9

Verdicts likely today in conspiracy trial

Counsel will make final addresses and Mr Justice Holland will sum up today in the trial of a man who has denied two charges arising from his trial in the District Court.

Richard Jeffrey Georg Barker, aged 28, has pleaded not guilty to charges of fabricating evidence about a Holden utility vehicle and with conspiring with Robert John Annan to defeat the course of justice. Mr D. J. L. Saunders appears for the Crown and Mr T. W. Fournier for Barker. Barker said in evidence that at no stage had he conspired with Robert John Annan to do anything illegal. What he did do was to have Annan write out two statements, the second of which he attempted to see was done as legally and correctly as possible.

At no stage had he offered Annan money. Accused was on legal aid and was “broke.” “Where would I get money from?” Barker said. He had never suggested that the utility vehicle could be Annan’s if he signed a confession. Annan had stolen three vehicles from him. “I did agree to do one thing. I did agree if he signed his confession, if he put everything up front, that I would not privately prosecute him. It struck me as a fair thing that the man had the guts to come forward and stand up against one intimidating individual,” Barker said. When he took Annan’s written confession to his solicitors it was in an envelope which had not been opened. After that statement was made he had no further contact with Annan who jumped bail, as he had

said he was going to, and disappeared. The letters which had been produced in Court had been taken from his briefcase and from Annan’s cell. Referring to a list of names, one of which had $5OOO written alongside it, Barker said the list detailed those he was going to call as witnesses at his trial. He was not sure why the $5OOO was written down but it could have been the price of a motor-vehicle which he noted, after he was asked a question by his counsel, Mr David Jones. It was not an offer to pay Annan $5OOO and was not written down at the same time as the witness list was made up, said Barker. Of the charge involving the Holden utility vehicle, Barker said that he had an accident with the vehicle because he had a tendency to speed. He was replacing

the front because of the damage. It was a late model and he could not get second-hand parts and so had to use new ones. They cost him several thousand dollars. At the time he was doing several jobs. He had a fencing contract company and was also running a refrigeration company and needed a prestigious vehicle, preferable with a V 8 motor. He had to cart fence palings about and did not want to overload the vehicle. A mechanic who had identified the Holden utility as one he had previously owned had been mistaken, Barker said. He detailed the various reasons why. Barker admitted that he had photocopied the warrant of fitness but he denied that he had done so with the intention of misleading the Court.