SMART DETECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23810, 17 May 1939, Page 18

SMART DETECTION

FJ.YING SQUAD MEN £6500 ROBHERY THWARTED Five members of Scotland Yard's Flying Squad were highly praised at the Old Bailey, London, by the Common Serjeant, Mr Cecil Whiteley, K.C., for the way in which they thwarted an attack on two bank clerk;;, carrying £6500. at Heme] Hempstead. William Spriggs, aged 27. machinist, of Lambeth, was found guilty of conspiring with two other men, who were sentenced recently, to rob the clerks. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonmen', the maximum penalty. The officers in the case were Detec-tive-inspector E. Greeno and Detectivesergeants E. Renson, H. Stuttard, E. Bottoms, and R. Higgins. The Common Serjeant observed: "A very serious crime was stopped by their action. The bank clerks might have been seriously injured." Mr Arthur Hawke. who prosecuted, explained that the officers were watching when the clerks left a post office with the money, which they were carrying to the bank. Spriggs and one of the other men arrived in Hemel Hempstead in a car. and a third man was behind on a motor cycle. Later they were all seen in the car, having changed their cjothes. Spriggs and one of the mer alighted and walked along behind the bank clerks, while the other drove the car up slowly. Suddenly, leaving the clerks, the men jumped into the car and drove hurriedly away. It was presumed that they became suspicious. Mr Hawke added that in the car, later found abandoned, were two pieces of rubber tubing, loaded with lead. When arrested Spriggs remarked, "Who shopped me?" and then added, "What does it matter? I've had a wonderful run."

Detective-inspector Greeno told the court he had known Spriggs for two years, and had nothing to say in his favour.