ARRESTED BY MISTAKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21159, 16 April 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

ARRESTED BY MISTAKE.

INNOCENT BOY'S STORY.

QUESTIONED FOR HOURS. FINGER-PRINTS TAKEN. A 16-vear-old boy in London in February, who was arrested by mistake, told the story of his ordeal after being discharged at court. The boy, Robert ITallett, who is employed by a boot repairing firm, was detained at. the polico station for seven hours, had his finger-prints taken and was interrogated for hours by detectives.. " T was delivering repairs in the afternoon," said the boy, " when a man rodo up on a bicycle. Ho was carrying a bundle. He fell off tho bicycle and asked me lo help him. I did, and lie told mo to hold the bundle while he went to get something. About a minute later another man, whom I discovered was a detective, asked me where I obtained the bundle. I told him it belonged to the

stranger. " Another man came along and they took me to the police station. _ They kept asking nu whose bundle it was. Then my tingcr-prints were taken. I asked llieni to let my boss know where 1 was and also to tell my father and mother. I do not think they did so. " The officers searched me and took the 7s 6d for boot repairs 1 bad collected for niy firm. Then T was put in a veil. They gave me some tea then. About 9.30 I asked if they could scud for my parents." Hallctt.'s father and mother were frantic with an.\ictv when the boy did not return home'for tea. They inquired at hospitals and of tho police. " About 10.30.'' said Mr. Hallctt, " a constable called and told me that my boy had been charged with housebreaking. 1 bailed him out for £25." When the boy was charged at. the police court, with being concerned with a man mJt in custody in breaking into a Hat and stealing £335 of property, a detective said he was satisfied that Ilallctt had nothing to do with the theft. The magistrate said it was obvious that no jury would convict, anfl tho accused would be. discharged. In answer to the boy's counsel, who spoko of the disquieting features of the case, the magistrate said the proper person to complain to was the Police Commissioner.