CHARGES AGAINST POLICE

Evening Star, Issue 22448, 19 September 1936, Page 15

CHARGES AGAINST POLICE

WRONGFUL ARREST AND ASSAULT PLAINTIFF AWARDED DAMAGES Tress Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, September 18. An action for damages against three members of the police, who were sued for wrongful arrest, false itnprison- . - "ment, and assault, ended to-day in ’. ■•favour of the plaintiff, Robert Percy - ’ 'Manners, who was awarded £IOO damr ages on each count, a total of £3OO. ;■' Hie case caused interest throughout . -the State, i- Manners, who vis a journeyman a " printer, gave evidence that while ho ... was going to his home late at night - in the Redfem district, he saw three .men bundling another man into a car. . He received a scare and began to run away, but was himself pursued and caught and very roughly handled by -j-. 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 and bullied and . finally taken ■ 'by car to the police station, where he v established a case of mistaken identity , and was released. The police were apparently looking for a man who ‘ snatched a lady’s handbag. Each of the defendants denied having assaulted Manners. The Chief Justice, Sir Frederick -Jordan, said that the police had no right to ’ arrest a citizen unless they were prepared to charge him with an offence immediately. The treatment of Manners constituted a serious assault.