Lewis caught in Auckland car yard

Press, 14 May 1987, Page 1

Lewis caught in Auckland car yard

By

NEIL CLARKSON

The bank robbery suspect, Christopher John Lewis, who eluded the police after a highspeed car chase from Westport 14 days ago, was caught in Auckland yesterday. Lewis, aged 23, was arrested at 1.15 p.m. in the office of an Auckland car sales yard as he was completing details of a hirepurchase contract. Two detectives entered the office at Top Gear Cars on the Great North Road while Lewis was talking with a salesman, Mr Ivan Unkovich. One stood behind Lewis while the other put his hand on Lewis’s shoulder.

Lewis swung round and said, “What’s happening? What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” One of the detectives said, “You know what’s wrong. Do you deny that you’re Lewis?” Lewis sat and said nothing. He was arrested and handcuffed. He had entered the car yard about 11,30 a.m. and showed interest in a Mini advertised for about $5OOO, said the owner of the yard, Mr Brian Cartwright.

“The salesman showed him the car and this fellow, who turned out to be Lewis, said, 'l’ll take it.’ “That was a little bit quick so the salesman said, ‘Wouldn’t you like to go for a drive in it?’ “They went for a drive round the block. I just assumed he didn’t like it because he was so quick.” Lewis, however, still appeared interested and sat down in the office with Mr Unkovich to fill out the documentation. “He wanted to buy the car, which we wanted $5OOO for, on

$lOOO deposit," Mr Cartwright said. - .

“It wasn’t enough. We said we needed $l7OO down.”

Lewis, who handed over $lOOO cash, said he would return that afternoon with the rest of the money. “We just carried on with it, feeling a little suspicious.” Lewis gave the name Terry Connors, and an address in St George Street, Epsom, where a staff member dropped him off as a further check. Lewis said he was in Auckland on transfer from the Christy church firm of T. L, Jones and Son. He gave his former Christchurch address as Somerfield Street — the same street in which Lewis’s family lives.

Mr Cartwright said he could find no record of Terry Connors

living in St George Street. He telephoned T. L. Jones and spoke with a woman who had worked with the company for 20 years. The woman did not recognise the name.

Mr Cartwright said “Connors” claimed to have once lived, in Somerfield Street and the woman made the connection with Lewis. She asked for a description which Mr Cartwright gave.

“She told me that it seemed to be the fellow being looked for down there. She shid that he had lived in Somerfield Street.

“I phoned the local police and they sent a couple of detectives. They had a picture and, sure enough, it was Lewis.” Mr Cartwright was giving the police details of Lewis’s visit when a taxi pulled up and Lewis got out. “One of the detectives slipped out the back while the other detective sat opposite me in the office as if discussing business.” Lewis went into the adjoining office with Mr Unkovich and was arrested soon after sitting down. Mr Cartwright said he spoke to Lewis after he had been taken outside.

“I said, ‘Look, nothing personal, pal. That’s the breaks. We can’t afford to lose the car.’

“He just acknowleged with a bit of a grin as if that was O.K. — a fair cop.” Mr Unkovich said Lewis had been too quick in deciding to buy the car.

“He just looked at it and said, ‘I want it’.”

He said Lewis said nothing when the police put it to him he was the missing man.