SHOT DEAD.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1926, Page 1

SHOT DEAD.

DESPERATE! CRIMINALS END

SYDNEY, March 19

Desire 1 jtt Court, one of Sydneys most desperate and elusive criminals was shot dead by a policeman of Richmond. a small town some 40 miles from Sydney last Sunday, alter a cliaso which had lasted since Friday night. La Court specialised in stealing motor ears, and in them travelling round thu suburbs robbing private residences and shops. He had a short career, as lives of criminals go, but it was crammed with encounters with polico sufficient- to .satisfy the longest-lived of evil-doers. His end came as tho result of an exciting hunt, in which the net of the law slowly closed round him.

Supposed to Ik- a Belgian. La Court (mi assumed name) was really a German, who arrived in Australia with a compatriot shortly before the war broke out. When war broke out. tintwo were interned in Queensland, but they attempted to escape. La Court succeeded, hut bis comrade was shot. He afterwards became renowned as a runner and cyclist, and in the latter capacity was champion of an amateur club in Sydney. He was unable to secure work, owing to bis inability to .speak proper English. so he said, and this led to his entrance into critpe in 1921, when he first came into the clutches of the law. Seven times he was convicted of various offences, bat for every crime sheeted home to him there were half a dozen committed hy hint, says the police, that: were never proved. An example occurred only a few months ago. The police approached the house at a Sydney suburb where lie was living, and demanded admittance, knowing that they bad proof that lie had recently committed a series of robberies. They knocked at the door. La Court answered them. The police waited for hint to Mine out, hut they waited just too long—La Court had slipped away by the rear of tlx- house. That night Lit Court eluded his pursuers although fired at on several occasions. A few days later he was .seen to leave a mo-tor-car at a surfing beach and enter the surf. As he later emerged dripping I rout the water, a police sergeant stuck the point ol a revolver into his ribs, inttrelied him to his own motor car, and then took him to the l-’olico station. Jsevoral charges wore then brought against La Court, hut owing to insufficient evidence, he was acquitted on till of them. THE END OF THE CHASM.

He was soon back at his old trade. Last week a number ot robberies wore, committed, all of which were Ix-liov-ed to have been done hy La Court, including a .0400 theft at the suburb of Hornsby. He seemed' to he working the North Shore, and a special polico vigik'ltce was kept for him and bis motor-car. I.ate on Friday night two policemen -aw an unattended car at Liin’lield. and waiting. presently -aw La Court .approach it. They railed him to halt, but he turned and ran. .Several shots were lire:!, but his lUol-I'ootodness earned him out of revolver range. When morning mine, a large posse of police and detectives were on Ids trail, Scouring tho suburbs on the northern side ot the harbour. That, afternoon word null': that he was to he found in a homo at .Manly. The searchers hurried there. Tln-.x hurst into I lie hoil.-e. hut l.a Court, clad only in singlet and trousers, dived through a side window'. He made his way tor -■'■♦era! miles on foot. and then forc ed a inn-

tori-'t at revolver point to give him a lift. 1,1 (‘lial.swood. u 111-re the police again saw him. cha-ed him. lired shots a! him. and again LM him. Shortly aftorards the theft of a motor-ear Wits reported from a neighbouring suburb, and inimodiately surmising that l.a Court was the robber, aft police slat ions were notified. At three o'clock <m Sunday afternoon, tfic police at Richmond saw in the yard

of an hot.-I a ear answering the description of the stolen one. In fori rod that the man who had driven it there had gone fur a run in a tourist ear. the p.,lire wailed the return of the latter. Whan it did. l.a Court stopped from it. -“l.a Court. I want to have a

"or.l with you." -aid tt:-:- senior ol the two police. Ihe mall fnOK no heed, hut immedialoly dashed out of the hack door of I lie hotel, making for the hack fence. Until the policemen called on him to halt, hut La Court taking no hood, the younger ol the two policemen. Constable MeGreneli. raised his revolver intending In “wing” him in the legs, dust as be was pulling the trigger he stumbled. The barrel of the revolver shot up, the bullet went high and entered the back of La Court’s head. Tho criminal collapsed unconscious, and he died four or five hours later wiihoiit regaining consciousness.

Thus within a yard or so of temporary safety came the end of Desire La Court who was only 30 years ol age. “One of the most elusive criminals we have had to deal with for years.” was the manner in which tin

bead of Sydney’s metropolitan police described him. lie seldom carried firearms, trusting rather to his fleetntxss of foot, and his motto in the Rogues’ Gallery will be “Flight rather than fight.”