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A DESPERATE CRIMINAL

SHOT DEAD BY POLICE

AN EXCITING MAN HUNT,

Sydney, March 19,

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

Supposed to be a Belgian, La Court (an assumed name) was really a German, who arrived in Australia with a compatriot shortly before the war. When war broke out the two were interned in Queensland, but they attempted to escape. La Court succeeded, but his 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 his inability to speak proper English, and this, so he said, led to his entrance into crime in 1921, when he first came into the clutches of the law. Seven times he was convicted of various offences, but for every crime sheeted home to him, there were half a dozen committed by him, say the police, that were never proved. Xu example occurred only a few months ago. The police approam . " the house at a Sydney suburb who he was living and demanded adm : lance, knowing that they had pro that he had recently commit* p d a series of robberies.. They knocked at the door. La Court answered them. The police waited for him L come out, but they waited just too long—La Court had slipped away by the rear of the house. That night La Court eluded his pursuers, although lired at on several occasions. A few days later he was seen io leave a motor-ear at a surfing beach and enter the surf. As he later emerged dripping from the water, a police sergeant stuck tho point of a revolver into his ribs, marched him to his own motor-car, and then took him to the Police Station. Several charges were then, levelled against La Court, but owing to insufficient evidence he was acquitted on all of them.

He was soon back at his old trade. Last week a number of robberies were committed, all of which were believed to have been done by La Court, including a £4OO theft at the suburb of Hornsby. He seemed to be working the North Shore, and a special vigilance was kept for him and his motor-car. Late on Friday night two policemen saw an unattended car at Lingfied and, waiting, presently saw La Court approach it. They called on him to halt, but he turned and ran. Several shots were tired, but his fleet-footedness carried him out of revolver range. When morning came a large posse of police and detectives were on iiis trail, scouring the suburbs on the northern side of the harbour. That afternoon word came that he was to be found in a house 'at Manly. The searchers hurried there, i hey burst into the house, but La Court, clad only in singlet and trousers, dived through a side window. He made his way for several miles on foot, and then forced a motorist at revolver point to give him a lift to Chatswood, where the police again saw him, chased him, lired shots at him, and again lost him. Shortly afterwards the theft of a motor-car was reported from a neighbouring suburb, and immediately surmising that La Court was the robber, all Police Stations were notified. At 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon the police at Richmond saw in the yard of a hotel a ; car answering the description of the stolen one. Informed that the man who had driven it there had gone for a run in a tourist car, the police waited the return of the latter. When it did, La Court stepped from it. "La Court, I want to have a word with you,” said the senior of the two police. The man took no heed, but immediately dashed out for the back fence. Both the policemen called on him to halt, but La Court taking no heed, the younger of the iwo policemen, Constable McGrooch, raised his revolver, intending to "wing” him in the legs. Just as he was pulling the trigger lie stumbled. The barrel of the revolver shot up, the bullet went high and entered the back of La Court’s head. The criminal collapsed .unconscious, and died four or five hours later wlihout regaining consciousness.

Tims within a yard or so of temporary safety, came the end of Desire La Court, who was only 30 years of age. “One of tlie most elusive criminals we have had to deal with for-years,” was the manner in which the head of Sydney's .Metropolitan Police described him. He seldom carried firearms, trusting rather to his fleetness of foot, and his motto in the Rogues’ Gallery will be “Flight rather than fight.”

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19260408.2.33

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3020, 8 April 1926, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
883

A DESPERATE CRIMINAL Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3020, 8 April 1926, Page 4

A DESPERATE CRIMINAL Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3020, 8 April 1926, Page 4

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