there were five and they all had guns.
The driver also said that
one shot was fired but not in his direction. Once the robbers
had boarded the red Mercedes Benz it was driven down Tonkin Street,
turned into Cheung Sha Wan Road, then into Yen Chow Street, and
then into Un Chau Street where it got stuck in a traffic jam. By
that time the red Mercedes Benz was being pursued by a police
patrol car in which were P.C. 9611, P.C. 2752 and the deceased
Sergeant 790. The police witnesses say that there were at least
two suspects who ran up Pei Ho Street towards Tai Po Road. One
of them was identified as the first Accused. When the first
Accused was outside No. 185 Pei Ho Street he was seen to draw a
revolver from his waist and to fire two or three shots.
P.C. 9611 shouted to the Sergeant to duck: he himself took cover
at the rear of a minibus, drew his own revolver and then proceeded
up Pei Ho Street taking cover behind the columns. The two
suspects who ran up Pei Ho Street arrived at Tai Po Road and there' they hijacked a yellow Honda car by threatening the driver
with a revolver and drove off in that car. P.C. 2752 fired a
shot at the car and one or two shots were returned from the car.
In Pei Ho Street Sergeant 790 was fatally shot through his head, and three pedestrians werc injured. In the early hours of 15th August 1973 the police conducted raids at various premises throughout the Colony and the nine Accused were arrested. The
first, second and third Accused were arrested together in a hut in Chai Wan and there the police recovered $119,090 which was part
of the money taken from the bank. Where the fourth Accused was
arrested, $32,800 was found. Where the sixth Accused was arrested, $29,050 was found. Where the seventh Accused was arrested, $31,350 was found. Where the ninth Accused was arrested the police seized a pattern for making hoods, a sewing machine, some thread which matched the thread in the hood found in the getaway car No. AV9296, a blank cartridge and a bundle of keys which matched the drawer where the guns and ammunition were found. Where the eighth Accused was found a quantity of guns and ammunition was recovered along with a large sun of money.
In a statement to the police the seventh Defendant admitted being present at the robbery and driving away from the bank in the getaway car until it collided with the bus. The other three of these Appellants pleaded an alibi.