CONSTABLE ACCUSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 January 1928, Page 10

CONSTABLE ACCUSED

MAGISTRATE’S ORDERS ENQUIRY. LONDON, November 26. Serious allegations agairi'st a police constable were made at‘West London Police Court yesterday, when Samuel Thrower, aged twenty-eight, a hawker, of Bolton Road, Notting Dale, was accused- before Mr Marshall of disorderly conduct and using abusive language at Gorleston Street, North End Road| West Kensington.

Police Constable M’Carthy stated that he saw Thrower and two other men hanging about near motor-cars which were parked in that street. He told them to go away, and Thrower refused and ' use'd bad language. Thrower persisted in refusing to moveand continued using bad language, and M'Carthy arrested him. Thrower made a statement, which he subsequently refcated on oath, to the effect that during the Motor Cycle Show he was looking after some mo-tor-cars which were parked in this street, when the same constable came up and asked him what he was doing.

He replied that he was trying to earn a few shillings for his wife and children. The constable then said: “Well, if you play the game straight with me, I will play 1 it straight with you. I will see you when I come off duty.” Later he was counting the money he had earned by looking after the cars when the constable came up and said, “Well, how does it go?” He replied, “Pretty well,” and the constable said, “What are you going to do about it? lam going off duty in a few minutes.” He replied, “I can do with all my few shillings for my wife and children,’ ’and would not give the officer any money. The constable said, “Well, you won’t come here any more so. long as lam on duty here. The next time I see you you will go inside.”

That, .added Thrower, was the reason the officer arrested him. He was waiting to meet his wife to take her to the hospital when the constable came up, and, after shoving him, said: “Get out of this; you didn’t play the game at the Motor Cycle Show.” He told him he was waiting for someone, but the constable arrested him.

M'Carthy denied that anything of the sort was said by him on either occasion. He said he had never seen Thrower before he arrested him. Mr Marshall: Well, it is a case of oath against oath, and Thrower’s evidence is as much entitled to belief as the constable’s. The charge, therefore, will be dismissed. ’

Mr Marshall, addressing the inspector on duty at the court, said: “Inspector, will you see that a full report of what has been said in this case is sent to the Commissionei* of Police, and say that I think it is a matter that should certainly be inqtured into.”