Armed robbery case goes for trial

Press, 6 July 1983, Page 4

Armed robbery case goes for trial

PA Invercargill A man charged with the 5106,000 armed robbery of the Lumsden branch of the Bank of New Zealand in March was yesterday committed for trial in the High Court at Invercargill on August 1. A two-day depositions hearing before Messrs E. R. Dennis and R. F. Wilson, Justices of the Peace, resulted in a prima facie case being found against Alistair John Barr, aged 31, of Invercargill. He is charged with robbing Lewis Graeme Steele, the bank manager, of $106,722 while armed with a revolver. Barr has pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody. A second man alleged to have been involved in the robbery, Gibson Grace, aged 30, has not been found, and a warrant has been issued

for his arrest. More than 50 witnesses gave written or oral evidence during the hearing. Hugh Barry Catto, one of the bank’s staff, said that a man carrying a double-bar-relled shot gun had entered the bank about 11 a.m. The man told the staff to freeze and get down on the floor, but had to repeat the command before anyone moved. A second person carrying a hand gun came in and went to the manager’s office. The man with the shot gun stood over the staff and told them to keep still and “not even breathe” if they wanted to live. The man with the revolver ordered one of the women to open the safe, but it was eventually done by the manager, said Mr Catto. Phyllis Taylor, of Kingston, said that she saw a motor-cycle outside the

bank. A man wearing a helmet and carrying something in his right hand ran out of the bank, climbed on the motor-cycle, and headed north. Kevin William Mulqueen, of Lumsden, said that he was overtaken on State highway 94 by two men on a pig motor-cycle. He had found a bunddie of bank notes in the middle of the road. John Patrick Lynch, of Lumsden, said that after the robbery he had given Barr, whom he had known for five years, a lift to Invercargill. He also arranged for Barr to buy a car for $l5OO. Barr had paid with $lO notes. Mr Lynch said that the next week Barr had complained to him that the police were hassling him about the bank robbery, although he maintained he had nothing to do with it.