Carl Maxwell GOTCH

Mayor injured in car collision

The Mayor of Fairfield, Ald. H. Schofield, is recovering in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Auburn,’ after being involved in a car accident last Saturday night.

A spokesman for Auburn Police Traffic Branch, Sergeant C. Gotch, said the accident occurred at about 6.45 p.m. on the corner of Edgar Street and Chisholm Road, Auburn. Sgt. Gotch said Ald. Schofield was travelling in a car with three other men when the accident occurred. ” The driver of the car in which the mayor was travelling, Mr. Robert (Bernie) Feltham, of Fairfield, only suffered slight abrasions in the accident. ” ” Ald. Schofield and the two other passengers, Mr. P. Bowtell and Mr. J. Reid, were all taken to hospital. ” Ald. Schofield suffered a fractured frontal bone of the head. ” Mr. Bowtell suffered a fractured skull and Mr. Reid suffered a fractured collarbone,” Sgt. Gotch said. Mr. Bowtell Is the president of Fairfield Bowling Club. Sgt. Gotch said two cars were involved in the accident. ” There were two men in the other car; the driver suffered slight abrasions but the passenger, Warwick Lacy, suffered injuries to the head.

Court Dismisses Charge Against Constable

SYDNEY, Friday. -Charges against Constable Carl Maxwell Gotch for the alleged assault of a man at Waverley Police Station on December 29, were dismissed in Paddington Court to-day.

Mr.Harvey, discharged Gotch, a former police constable, after ruling there was no case to answer.

Gotch had been charged with assaulting James Kelly, instrument fitter, of Gladesville, in the police station chargeroom.

Mr. Harvey described Kelly as a “most unreliable witness.”

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article91233387.txt

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Former Police Officer Cleared Of Allegations

SYDNEY, Monday. -A magistrate to-day accepted the withdrawal of a charge of assault against a former police constable when the magistrate said he left the court without a blemish or stain on his character.

Before Paddington Court was Carl Maxwell Gotch, former police constable, against whom the police prosecutor asked permission to withdraw a charge of unlawful assault.

Mr. Harvey, S.M., told Gotch “You have come before this court on two charges which have not been substantiated in any way.”

Previously, a charge against Gotch of having assaulted James Kelly at Waverley Police Station on December 29, causing grievous bodily harm, was dismissed.

Inspector Milne, police prosecutor, said to-day the Commissioner of Police had been advised by the Crown Solicitor that no evidence could be offered against Gotch on a second charge of unlawful assault against Kelly.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article91584865.txt

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CONSTABLE REINSTATED

SYDNEY, Tuesday.

Constable Carl Maxwell Gotch, who was cleared yesterday in Paddington Court of an assault charge, began duty with the police force again to-day.

Gotch, 28, was reinstated by the force last night after being dismissed when the assault allegations were made.

Gotch was this morning, assigned to a city division.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article91584925.txt

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LAW REPORTS

Constable Slapped His Face:   Radio Man’s Claim

A radio script writer claimed at Paddington Court of Petty Sessions yesterday that a constable slapped his face in Waverley police station last month.

Don Anthony Haring, 32, of Moore Street, Bondi, pleaded not guilty to a charge of having driven a car in Bennett Street, Waverley, on November 11 while under the influence of liquor.

He also denied charges of having used insulting words to Sergeant Ronald Albert Newman and having used indecent language in Bennett Street.

Mr. E. R. Harvey, S.M., said he was satisfied that Haring was under the influence of liquor. He released him on his entering into a £20 bond to be of good behaviour for two years.

On the other two charges, Mr Harvey fined him a total of £8.

WAITED IN CAR

Haring said in evidence he was an American-born freelance writer and script writer. On November 6 he went to Canterbury races and there had two glasses of beer both smaller than middies “.

That was all he had to drink that day.

After the races he drove-his daughter, aged 10, to a friend’s house in Bennett street. He was parked outside for a few minutes waiting for her to come out, when a

police car pulled up and Sergeant Newman and a Constable Shiels spoke to him.

He alleged that after a short conversation with the police he was pushed against the police car.

The police refused to tell him what he had done. He was then arrested. He was taken to Waverley police station in the police car, leaving his coat and wallet in his own car.

At the station Constable Shiels had insulted him.

HIS MONEY

Haring said that after Constable Gotch arrived at the station with his coat and wallet, and had counted out from the wallet £11 and a few shillings, he pointed out to Sergeant Newman three times that there had been £21 in the wallet.

Sergeant Newman eventually replied: ” You wouldn’t know how much you had in your wallet. ”

Questioned by his solicitor, Mr. J. P. Sharah, Haring alleged that Constable Gotch turned round and said: ” Are you accusing me of taking your money? ”

He had answered: “ I am not accusing anyone at this stage, but it didn’t fly away. ”

Haring claimed that Constable Gotch had then slapped him in the face.

Before he left the station, he signed a receipt for his belongings and money, ” under protest. ”

Wonderful man’ fined

Sydney, Wednesday

A man who stopped two strange women in the street and told them he was ” wonderful, ” was fined £11 in Paddington Court today.

Albert Charles Prowse, 48, laborer, of Fletcher st., Bondi Junction, father of six, was the ” wonderful ” one.

Police said that on November 22, Prowse stepped in front of two women, waved his arms and called out: ” I’m wonderful. ”

When Constable Gotch arrested him Prowse resisted and punched Gotch in the face.

Mr. W. C. Mosley ( for Prowse ) : ” He got pretty full and his arrest apparently upset his dignity, so he struggled and struck the constable. ”

Prowse’s £11 bill for his momentary exhilaration, included fines for offensive behavior, resisting arrest, and assaulting a policeman.

Brush With Police Costs Couple £40

One thing led to another when Joseph Patrick Maher, 43, called Constable Maxwell Gotch as ” mug copper ” at Bondi Junction on Saturday.

The phrase-and the events that followed it-cost Maher and his wife £40 at Paddington Court of Petty Sessions yesterday.

Maher, of MacPherson Street, Waverley, was fined:

£5 for resisting Constable Gotch in the execution of his duty;

£5 for using insulting language.

£20 for assaulting the constable.

Maher pleaded guilty.

His wife, Kathleen Vada, 38, pleaded guilty to assaulting Gotch. She was fined £10.

” MUG COPPER “

Gotch said when he arrested two men for drunkenness Maher called him a ” mug copper. ”

He then arrested Maher, whose wife insisted on going to the police station with him.

Meanwhile the two men had disappeared into a crowd.

On the way to the police station, Gotch said, Maher struggled with him and his wife hit him on the face.

Crowd Attacks Police

Sydney, December 21. — A crowd yesterday attacked a constable as he was making an arrest near a hotel at Bondi Junction. Two other men the constable had arrested earlier escaped as the constable and sergeant ( Off Duty Sgt Ronald Albert Newman of Waverley Police ) fought off attackers. Constable Gotch ( Waverley ) arrested the two men for drunkenness about 6.15 p.m. at the corner of Grosvenor and Oxford Streets, Bondi Junction.

He put them in a taxi to take them to Waverley Police Station. As the cab drove away a man in the crowd of 200 at the corner called out; ” Mug copper ….. ”

The cab swung back, and Constable Gotch got out to arrest the man. As he snapped handcuffs on the man a group of men surged around him. Later at Waverley Police Station a man was charged with having used insulting words, resisted arrest, and assaulting police.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article141695379.txt

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Struggle With Police:

Three Arrested

Three men were charged at Waverley police station last night after a struggle with two constables who had gone to a house in Bronte Road in answer to a phone call.

One, aged 64, was accused of indecent language and resisting arrest. The second, aged 30, was charged with assaulting a constable. The third, aged 45, was charged with inciting to resist arrest.

Constable A. Cunningham, of Waverley, went to the house first. He later alleged that a man who met him outside used indecent language and then ran in.

The constable said he followed him upstairs. There were two other men there, and a struggle took place in which he was knocked down. Then Constable C. Gotch arrived, and between them they arrested all the men.

Taxi driver drank, fined £15

Stanley Cyril Bailey, 42, taxi-driver, of George St., Rose Bay, was fined £15 in Paddington Court to-day for driving while under the influence of liquor yesterday. Constable Gotch ( Waverley ) told Mr. Harvey, SM, that at about 4.20 pm yesterday Bailey’s taxi collided with the front offside mudguard of a stationary bus in Oxford St Bondi Junction. Bailey was “very much under the influence.”

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article230708462.txt

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Make-up Blamed For Crash At Woollahra

An actor blamed make-up trickling into his eyes for an accident in Oxford Street, Woollahra, early this morning.

He is Alexander Watt, 23, of Knox Street, Randwick.

His car swerved across Oxford Street and hit a petrol pump of C. Wunderlich’s Park Garage.

The pump was torn from its base and hurled 30 feet on to the top of a brick fence.

The car then crashed into and wrecked a fence.

Sergeant McMillan and Constable Gotch were amazed that Watt had not been injured.