Sydney Policemen Must Pay Penalty

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 273, 18 November 1936, Page 6

Sydney Policemen Must Pay Penalty

CITIZEN’S WRONGFUL ARREST. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. . SYDNEY, Nov. 17. The Premier, Mr. B. S. B. Stevens, announced that Cabinet had decided that tho three police officers who were successfully proceeded against by Robert Manners for wrongful arrest and ill-treatment, must pay their own costs and the £3OO damages awarded against them. Cabinet considered that the jury’s verdict should be regarded as binding. Cabinet’s decision is in spite of the fact that tho Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lynch, recommended in his report to the Government that the Crown should foot tho bill.

Cabinet directed that Sergeant Silcock be reverted to uniform duty, and that Constables Murray and Roach be retained on uniform duty.

An action for damages against three members of tho Sydney Police Force, who were sued for wrongful arrest, falso imprisonment, and assault, ended on September 18 in favour of the plaintiff, Robert Percy Manners, who was awarded £IOO damages on each coun’, a total of £3OO. Manners, a journeyman printer, gave evidence that while going to his home late at night in the Redfern district he saw three men bundling another man into a car. He received a scare and began to run away, but was himself pursued, caught, and very roughly handled by two of tho three men, who were Detective J. H. Silcock, Constable G. Alurray, and Constable G. Roach. Alanners stated that he was punched and bullied, and finally taken by car to the police station, where he established a case of

mistaken identity and was released. The police were apparently looking for a man who snatched a woman’s handbag. Each of the defendants denied assault. Tho Chief Justice, Sir Frederick Jordan, Said that the police had no right to arrest a citizen unless they were prepared to charge him with an offence immediately. The treatment of Alanners constituted serious assault.