POLICE COACHING WITNESSES
A JUDGE'S REBUKE. AUCKLAND, August 19. In the course of evidence at the Supreme Court to-day in a robbery case, a young policeman, under a severe cross-exami-nation by Mr Lundon, said he had mad a a note at the time of what a female witness told him on the date of the robbery (July 23). He prepared a full statement from his notes, and showed the statement to the witness at the Supreme Court a week ago. Mr Honor Mr Justice Edwards stigmatised the procedure as most improper. 1 ! Addressing the witness, his Honor said> " You have no business to do anything of the sort, and you have no business to refresh a witness's memory in this way. You have taken brief notes and added to them, making a full report. That is manufacturing evidence. The witness should come here not according to your notes, but according to he» memory, t hope I shall not find anything of the sorfc again. If I do I shall have to take eomo serious notice of it." Speaking' to the Hon. J. A. Tole, K.C., Crown solicitor, his Honor added -. " These witnesses have no business whatever to be coached by the police from their notes. They must come here according to their memory. I mu6fc cay it is somewhat shocking."
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 29
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220POLICE COACHING WITNESSES Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 29
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