STRONG PROTEST IN ALLEGED KIDNAPPING CASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1948, Page 8

STRONG PROTEST IN ALLEGED KIDNAPPING CASE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. . Following lengthy and sometimes heated, submissions by two defending counsel, Mr W. J. Stacey and Mr A. J. West-Walker, the police case against two men on charges of alleged attempted kidnapping, which was being heard in the Magistrate’s Court today, was remanded by Mr A, A. McLachlan S.M. until tomorrow morning. Both counsel stated that the case was a lengthy one to defend and a difficult one, and that the hearing was at particularly short notice in view of the Supreme Court Sessions which were to open on Monday. Senior-Detective Callaghan, who appeared for the police, replied that counsel had it from the Crown Prosecutor that the case would not be called in the Supreme Court until a fortnight. The matter first came up in the Magistrate’s Court on October 6 and it was now October 14.

A remand was subsequently granted until tomorrow.

The accused, Malcolm David Glasspole, aged 31, a company manager, and Aino Alexander Birch, aged 29, a motor engineer, appeared in the dock together. They were jointly charged that.on October 5 they attempted to take away a child, Deborah Janet Todd, aged nine years 11' months, with intent to deprive her parent, Bryan James Todd, of possession of the said child. They were also charged with being illegally in possession of firearms.