N.Z. man’s death blamed on police

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 1

N.Z. man’s death blamed on police

NZPA London A New Zealand teacher, Blair Peach, has been elevated to the status of a martyr as the London Police begin a full-scale investigation into his violent death on Monday.

As members of the Anti-Nazi League and onlookers accused the police Special Patrol Group of clubbing Mr Peach to death with their truncheons, the police set up a special investigation unit to piece together what happened in a riot in the west London suburb of Southall. The riot, as thousands of demonstrators battled with the police in a vain attempt to stop a meeting by 60 members of the National Front from going ahead, left Mr Peach dead, more than 40 persons — including 21 policemen — in hospital for treatment, many others suffering from minor injuries, and 340 persons arrested. Mr Peach, aged 33, whose full name was Robert Blair Peach, came to Britain in July, 1969, from Napier. He taught at a special school for backward children in East London, and was president of the East London Teachers’ Association.

His mother, Mrs J. G. Peach lives in Napier, and

his brother, Mr T. R. Peach, is a prominent Napier lawyer. The Anti-Nazi League, of which Mr Peach was a foundation member, is an active counter to the National Front, which propounds a policy of racial hatred and expulsion of all Asian and black residents of Britain.

The secretary of the league, Mr Paul Holbrow, described Mr Peach as “modest and diffident.” The special inquiry unit, headed by Scotland Yard’s Complaints Investigation Bureau chief, Commander John Cass, appealed to all those who saw Mr Peach being attacked to make a formal statement. As they made their appeal, several onlookers alleged that they had seen policemen beat Mr Peach as he was apparently leaving the demonstration. The most detailed account came from Mr Parminder Atwal, who lives in the heart of Southall. Mr Atwal said that he had been in his garden when two police vans arrived, from which about 20 policemen emerged. “They were carrying shields and black truncheons,” he said. “They tried to break up the line of people and came running down the road pulling people, pulling them by the

hair, and hitting them with their sticks.

“A man was standing on the corner next to the wall when everybody came running past. lie got tangled up in it and was knocked over. Then, when he was lying on the ground, the police came rushing past him as they chased these other blokes down the road.

“As they rushed past him, one of them hit him on the head with his stick. I was in my garden and I saw this quite clearly, and I saw the policeman who did it. My mother was watching from a window and she saw it, too.” Mr Atwal said that he discovered later than the man was Mr Peach. As the police and demonstrators passed, Mr Peach was left sitting against a wall. “He tried to get up, but he was shivering and looking very strange,” Mr Atwal said. “He couldn’t stand. Then the police came back and told him to move.

“They were very rough with him and I was shocked, because it was clear he was seriously hurt. His tongue seemed stuck in the top of his mouth and his eyes were rolled up. But they started pushing him and told him to move, and he managed to get to his feet.

“He staggered across the road and came to where I was in the garden,” Mr Atwal said. “I tried to sit him down. He was in a very bad way and couldn’t speak. Then he just dropped down. I got a glass of water for him but he couldn’t hold it, and it dropped out of his hand. “It was cold outside so I took him into the house and put him on the settee. I got him some more water but he couldn’t take it down.

“To me it looked very serious. His face was very pale, yellow on one side, and on one side of his forehead was a big red mark which looked like it was full of blood under the skin, Mr Atwal said. An ambulance was called which took Mr Peach to hospital.

Mr Atwal’s story was supported by a neighbour, Mr Yapoob Bhatti, who saw the skirmish from an upstairs window

“The police were beating that man like anything,” he said. “I saw two of them hit him. He wasn’t doing anything, but they hit him as they went past.” Similar allegations had already been made earlier by two members of the Anti-Nazi League who said that they had been — like Mr Peach — on their way

home from the demonstration. Mr Martin Gerald said that Mr Peach had been hit twice on the head with truncheons and left unconscious.

Ms Amanda Leon, who said that she accompanied Mr Peach to the New Ealing Hospital where he died just after midnight from head injuries, said he had also seen him being hit before being separated from him. Mr Gerald said: “Most of us were on our way home. It looked as if we could go home, but some policemen forced us into a side street. Blair Peach was with us.

‘‘We were not demonstrating, but going home. Then the second van came, and the Special Patrol Group policemen came out wielding truncheons and riot shields. It was a case of the boots just going in,” he said.

The Special Patrol Group has been described as a type of uniformed flying squad. Officially described as “the mobile reserve of the Metropolitan Police,” the group was established in mid-1965 to react quickly to “any contingency which might arise” — including public disorder, muggings, house-breakings, and other crime on the streets. All its members are volunteers.

The police have declined i to comment about the' allegations. The group which has often been the focus of controversy, is best known for the “public disorder” side of its work, but Scotland Yard denies that it is, in effect, a specialist riot squad. Political leaders have fiercely condemned the violent clashes which have inflamed Britain’s General Election campaign. The Prime Minister (Mr ; Callaghan) said that; extremists were trying to! foment disorder“The doctrines of the] National Front are pernicious, provocative, and;

itoo reminiscent of the Nazis; Ito be comfortable for this’ 'country,” he said. i The Leader of the! . ’Opposition (Mrs Thatcher). [J said that the only way to I beat the National Front was ! by the ballot box, not by I ! bricks and bombs. Mr Peach’s family in ’ 1 Napier have still not been , officially informed of his death, nor have the New ; Zealand police had any I official information from their British counterparts. Mr Peach’s mother first ; , heard of her son’s death ! ' from a newspaper report i ! early' on Tuesday after- | j noon. “It was a tremendous ; shock for her,” said Mr . Roy Peach, an elder son, yesterday. “The report appeared to assume she had ' been advised,”