ACCUSED MEN

Northern Advocate, 31 May 1935, Page 5

ACCUSED MEN

ILL-TREATMENT ALLEGATIONS. DETECTIVES’ DENIALS. MELBOURNE, May 26. During the hearing of a case in General Sessions, in which three men were charged with conspiracy, it was alleged by the accused that they had been bullied, ill-treated, and browbeaten by detectives into writing and signing confessions. Ernest Kelly, 23, rubber worker, Ediward Lindsay Mills, grocer’s assistant, and John Leslie McDonald, casing worker, all of Footscray, were charged with. conspiring to rob the State Savings Bank at Portland and the post office at Bullengarook. Before the prisoners went into the witness box, eight detectives occupied it in turn and swore that they had not struck, bullied, ill-treated, or interfered with the tin’ee prisoners, or seen anyone else do so. Mills said in evidence that he was pulled out of a car and a detective punched him on the mouth. When he was in the Detective Office, a detective stood behind him with his fist pulled back, and threatened to punch him if he did not make a statement. McDonald said he also was punched as he was pulled out of the car. When a statement was being taken from him, he was struck in the ribs if he did not answer questions quickly enough. After the statement was completed, a detective threatened to “knock his head off” if he did not sign it, and he signed. Judge Macindoe, in his summingup, said to the jury that only too frequently the police were attacked in the courts. “What other defence can there be,” he said, “if the accused pleads not guilty after having given the police a signed confession?” The jury found the three accused not guilty on both counts.