Dentist Found Not Guilty

Northern Advocate, 25 October 1947, Page 6

Dentist Found Not Guilty

WELLINGTON, Sat. (P.A.) —A jury in Ihe Supreme Court found Gordon McCallum, aged 42. dentist, not guilty on all eight charges of indecent assault on female patients.

Criticism of the police was made by Mr W. E. Leicester, ■ counsel for McCallum, in his address on behalf of the prisoner. The Chief Justice (Sir Humphrey O’Leary) summing' up, said the need to have the case proved beyond reasonable doubt was emphasised by the fact of the accused’s standing, socially and professionally. The case would not be decided on the evidence of good character alone, but the accused would be entitled to have that put into the balance if the jury’s decision otherwise was finely balanced. HONESTY OF POLICE The honesty of the police would not be in question, no matter what the result of the case. His Honor said counsel for the accused had stigmatised one witness plainly as a liar because he submitted that other evidence had shown it to be impossible fo.r things to have happened the way the woman had said. But her evidence could not be so airily dismissed. It was the evidence of an observer telling her tale the way she saw things. The fact that another witness mentioned by Mr Leicester was not called by the police was not “a sad commentary on the administration of justice by the police.”

Tariff Question LONDON, Fri. (1 p.m.).—Agreement on general principles has been reached in thy tariff negotiations between Britain, Commonwealth countries and the United States says The Times ParliaVnentary correspondent. • The president of the Board of Trade will shortly make an announcement in the House of Commons indicating broadly the terms of the agreement.