Man executed, says Crown

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 6

Man executed, says Crown

PA Auckland One of two men involved in a bank robbery was executed, as no other way could be found to make him ’ “keep his mouth shut,” a Crown prosecutor has alleged. The prosecutor, Mr David Morris, was opening the case for the Crown against Alistair John Barr, aged 33, of Auckland, and Richard Graham Morgan, aged 27, of New Plymouth. .

They are charged with the murder of Gibson Grace at Titirangi on April 21, 1983.

• The trial is before Mr Justice Prichard and a jury in the High Court at Auckland. Mr Morris said it was the case for the Crown that on March 17, 1983, Grace and Barr were involved in the armed holdup of the Bank of New Zealand at Lumsden, Southland.

They escaped with about $106,000. After .the robbery Grace stayed in a flat in Invercargill leased by Barr. It was the case for the Crown that Barr asked that Grace be transferred to Auckland, and he was helped by a man named Oldham, through whom he met Morgan.

At the end of March Morgan helped to transfer Grace to Auckland. Mr Morris said that Grace, besides being a criminal, was a police informer.

Far from “lying low,” he “played up” and acted in a way which increased the risk of his being seen by police, and he would no doubt have “pointed the finger” at Barr over the robbery. Mr Morris said Morgan, who was really playing the role of minder to

Grace, became concerned. He expressed his worries to Oldham, who got in touch with Barr in Christchurch. tt was the Crown’s case that "Barr came to Auckland on April 18, 1983, bringing with him a .32 calibre revolver, the weapon it was contended he used in the robbery. On the night of April 20-21 of that year, Barr, Morgan and Grace were at a Titirangi house. Grace was shot twice through the head at close range and his body was buried in the garage. Mr Morris said no other way could be found to make Grace “keep his mouth shut.” It would be clear that

Grace died instantly, and that . whoever ; fired the shots did. not ■ intend him to survive.?:.'s “There could , scarcely be . a more deliberate form of execution." Mr Morris said Oldham was originally Charged as a party to the murder, although it was never suggested he was present at the time, of the killing'. ' His name had been excluded from .the indictment as another court had ruled that his .trial be heard separately. The trial of Morgan and Barr is expected to take three weeks.