Shoe print on counter—Crown

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 19

Shoe print on counter—Crown

Evidence of a shoe print on the counter of the Phillipstown Postßank would form part of the Crown Case against the man charged with the $20,000 robbery of the bank, Mr Justice HardieBoys and a jury were told in the High Court yesterday.

The Crown prosecutor, Mr David Saunders, said expert evidence would be called about the footprint left on the counter, comparing this to the wear pattern on the sole of the shoes that Dean Noble was wearing when he was arrested.

Noble, aged 21, a welder, has pleaded' not guilty to the charge of robbing a Postßank staff member while armed with a hammer, on August 3.

Mr John Sandston appears with Mr Saunders for the Crown, and Mr

Michael Knowles appears for Noble. Mr Saunders said evidence would be given that people had noted the number of the motorcycle on which the robber left the scene.

The Crown would allege that the motor-cycle belonged to Noble and that he was seen riding it on the morning of the robbery.

Evidence would show the machine was found at the factory he worked in, Rocky Engineering, near Lancaster Park.

From the factory, the police also obtained overalls, other clothing, and several engineering hammers. When the police located Noble he denied ail knowledge of the offence. The Crown intended to call 20 witnesses in the case. Detective Constable

Sandra Joy Manderson said she was designated officer in charge of exhibits relating to the Phillipstown Post Office robbery. She produced brown overalls and a green woollen jacket, a shirt and three engineer’s ball peen-hammers found at Rocky Engineering. She was later handed some worn, grey running shoes, and a pair of similar new shoes.

Mrs Joanne Ellen Rebecca Wynands said she was officer-in-charge of the Phillipstown Postßank on August 3, when a delivery of money was made to the bank about 11.25 a.m.

She was about to open a sealed bundle of $20,000 in $2O notes when she saw someone in front of her, on her side of the counter.

The man was holding up an engineering hammer.

He said, “The money,” twice, and took the money straight away, before leaping over the counter and leaving through the front door. She then looked through a window and saw the man having trouble starting a motorcycle before riding away. She called out the registration number of the motor-cycle and another staff member wrote it down.

The man was wearing a dark full-face helmet, overalls, and there was a piece of checked material which looked like a bush shirt sticking out of the overalls. He had a scarf on as well. She saw he had running shoes on when he jumped over the counter.

“He had on an 'old, well-used helmet, the same type as the Mongrel Mob use when they come in,” Mrs Wynands said. The helmet did not have a visor, but she could see little of his face. The man was of medium build, and judging by the way he leaped over the counter, he was not old. He had oily hands.

Mrs Annette Rose Wilson, a bank officer at Phillipstown, said she heard a noise and turned to see someone crouched on the counter top, with a hammer in his hand. He then jumped to the floor, and said, “where’s the money, all of it? Give it to me.”

He was holding the hammer above his head. He took the money from Mrs Wynands, and caught his foot as he

jumped back over the counter.

She saw only the robber’s eyes, and the sole of his shoe as he left. It was similar to the sole of a running shoe produced in court as an exhibit.

Mr Charles xoss Stephens said he lived with Noble’s mother and employed Noble at his factory, Rocky Engineering.

Noble was at the factory on August 3, and went with him to do a job at a factory in Blenheim Road about morning tea time.

They stayed there until about 1 p.m. when he dropped Noble back in the city. He identified the jacket and overalls that were exhibits in court as his.

The hearing is expected to end today.