POLICEMEN SUED FOR ASSAULT

Southland Times, Issue 22999, 19 September 1936, Page 7

POLICEMEN SUED FOR ASSAULT

WRONGFUL ARREST OF SYDNEY MAN

£3OO AWARDED IN DAMAGES (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 9.5 p.m.) Sydney, Sept. 18. An action for damages against three members of the police force, who were sued for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and assault, which ended today in favour of the plaintiff, Robert Percy Manners, who was awarded £lOO in damages on each count (a total of £300), caused wide interest throughout the State.

Manners, who is a journeyman printer, gave evidence that while he was going to his home in the Redfern district late at night he saw three men bundling another man into a car. He received a scare, and began to run away, but was himself pursued, caught and very roughly handled by two of the three men—who happened to be Detective J. H. Silcock, Constable G. Murray and Constable G. Roach. Manners stated that he was punched, bullied and finally taken by car to the police station, where he established his case of mistaken identity and was released. The police were apparently looking for a man who had snatched a lady’s handbag. Each of the defendants denied the charge of assault The Chief Justice (Sir Frederick Jordan) said that the police had no right to arrest n citizen unless they were prepared to charge him with an offence immediately. Their treatment of Manners constituted a serious assault.