Robbery acquittal

Press, 17 October 1987, Page 4

Robbery acquittal

Charged with stealing a leather jacket and $2OO, along with others, Barry Keri Gray, aged 20, was found not guilty by a jury in the High Court yesterday.

The jury took iy 4 hours to reach the verdict. Gray was discharged by Mr Justice Holland.

Mr Graham Panckhurst represented the Crown; Mr Paul McMenamin appeared for Gray. Gray was alleged to have taken the money and the jacket, worth $339, from Brett Robert White.

Mr McMenamin told the jury the main issue in the case was one of iden-

tification. The Crown had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Gray robbed Mr White. Very fairly the Crown had admitted that there were weaknesses in the evidence of Mr White and the defect?, were so great that Gray Was entitled to a verdict of not guilty!

There were extensive inconsistencies in the evidence of Mr White. In the statement he made on April 14 he had never mentioned Gray in connection with the attack in an alley alongside the Forresters Hotel, said Mr McMenamin.

According to evidence

members of the Mongrel Mob attacked White in the lavatory at the hotel. He was punched repeatedly until he fell to the floor and then they put the boot in.

Earlier the gang members had been playing pool with the man, who staggered out into the bar covered in blood. No-one gave him any help or called / the police.

As their victim was leaving the bar he was head butted in the nose twice. Outside he was dragged into an alley beside the hotel, punched, thrown to the ground and kicked.