Confessed Thief Alleges “Frame-Up”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 658, 9 May 1929, Page 1

Confessed Thief Alleges “Frame-Up”

WAHINE MAIL ROBBERY RYAN BROTHERS ACQUITTED Press Association WELLINGTON, Wednesday. j A verdict of not guilty was returned by the jury in the Supreme Court to- j day, after a retirement of 15 minutes, in the case in which Richard Ryan and George W T ilfred Ryan were jointly charged before the Chief Justice, the Hon. M. Myers, that on the night of February 9, in company with Thomas Gordon and Arthur Henry ’William Bevan, they stole from the steamer Wahine money and valuables of a total value of £IS4 5s sd. Serious allegations against the police were made by Bevan. Called by the Crown as a -witness, Bevan said his statement to the police implicating the Ryans was not true. He said: “I never discussed with the Ryans the matter of the theft. They (the police) said that, if I said the Ryans were in it. I would get off with probation. Now I have got two years.” In view of the seriousness of the allegations, the Chief Justice declared the witness hostile. Under cross-examination, Bevan said he considered the matter a “frame-up” by the police. He and Gordon arranged the robbery, and the Ryans had nothing to do with it. i ; * A WEAK CASE Summing up, the Chief Justice said the case was, and must be fn the circumstances, not that the Ryans went down into the hold, but that they were parties to the offence, the substance of which was committed by Gordon or by Gordon and Bevan. In the circumstances, the jury could take no notice whatever of the statement of Bevan. His Honour suggested that that was not sufficient evidence to make it safe to convict the two accused. The case was really a weak one on the evidence. ONLY FAIR TO POUCE Dealing with the allegations against the detectives, his Honour said that, if true, they would plainly indicate that those detectives were not fit members of the police force. He did not believe for one moment that the allegations were true. Such allegations showed the risk the police themselves sometimes took in the execution of their duty, and it showed that the whole matter of taking statements from accused persons and others required some consideration, not only for the persons from whom the statements were taken, but for the police officers themselves. “I think it only fair to the police officers that these remarks should be made,” added his Honour. The two brothers are awaiting trial in another case. Bail was allowed Richard Ryan in the sum of £2OO. with two sureties each of £2OO.