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CHAPTER 6
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF INSPECTOR JOHN MACLENNAN
A. BACKGROUND
Sometime in December 1979, about three weeks before the decision was made to arrest Inspector MacLennan on eight charges of gross indecency, he was warned by at least one of those who had given statements implicating him in these charges.
2. Jimmy, a male prostitute who had a homosexual relationship with MacLennan, said in evidence1 that soon after giving his statement to the SIU, implicating MacLennan, he went to MacLennan's flat at Ho Man Tin to warn him. Jimmy was apologetic when he told MacLennan that he had given a statement to the SIU. He said he did not really want to give this statement, and he asked MacLennan what he should do. MacLennan replied in English, "I know", followed by "Mm Kun Yiu" in Cantonese, meaning, "It doesn't matter". It was a short conversation, and as Jimmy was about to leave, MacLennan said, “Thank you”. Jimmy's interpretation of that conversation was that MacLennan understood what Jimmy had told him although no specific reference was made to the contents of the statement Jimmy had given to the SIU. MacLennan was neither surprised nor depressed. Later, Jimmy spoke to another male prostitute Bobby (who had also given a statement to the SIU about his homosexual relationship with MacLennan) and learnt that Bobby had also warned MacLennan.
3.
Peter was another male prostitute who had given statements to the SIU about his homosexual relationship with MacLennan. Peter, at a meeting with Det. Stn. Sgt. Leung Sze-piu of the SIU, told Leung that Jimmy had warned MacLennan. Leung recorded in his notebook what he was told.2 It would therefore appear that Jimmy had also spoken to Peter about his having warmned MacLennan.
4.
It is probable that it was because of the warnings given by Jimmy and perhaps others that MacLennan at about this time looked troubled to one of his closest friends, Inspector Matthew Handley. Handley said in evidence that in about December 1979, he had the distinct impression that something was troubling MacLennan: “We used to make provisional arrangements to see each other and he would occasionally not turn up. On two of these occasions, my girl friend had cooked a meal and as he loved good food and wine, I considered this unusual. Knowing him as well as I did, I thought it strange. She, hardly knowing him, thought it strange also and we discussed it. I reached the point when I was going to bring it up with him."3 Handley never did have the occasion to bring the matter up with MacLennan. When he was about to do so, MacLennan had died.
5.
On 11 January 1980, MacLennan agreed to give Handley a lift up to Smugglers Ridge where Handley was to fire his revolver course. On arrival, MacLennan asked the Officer-in-charge if he (MacLennan) too could fire some practice shots. Handley found this out of character, for he knew that MacLennan had already fired his range course very recently and that MacLennan disliked firearms.
6.
Mr. Ian Whiteley, a TVB Reporter, escorted MacLennan and Handley round the TVB Studios on the evening of 11 January 1980 and had a curry dinner with them at the Gaylord Restaurant, Chatham Road. He recalled that MacLennan seemed to be relaxed and did not have any indication that he had anything deeply troubling him.4
7.
Later that day, Handley brought MacLennan to the Urban Council Library at Waterloo Road. Although MacLennan was much impressed by the variety and quality of the books in the Library, he declined Handley's offer to withdraw a book for him even though there was only one other person at the counter. Handley in his statement to the Police said: "In the light of MacLennan's death, this made me wonder over the last few days." On the evening of Sunday the 13th, MacLennan was anxious to return two magazines to Handley. Handley and his girl friend visited MacLennan in his quarters for about an hour from 6 p.m. on that day. After Handley and his girl friend left the flat and were about half way down the corridor, MacLennan called after them and said: "I have got two magazines of
yours, will you take them back to your flat?" Handley replied: "Bring them back with you when you come." MacLennan said: "No, I might forget them." Whereupon Handley took the magazines back. Again, Handley thought this to be out of character.5
8.
It appears that Handley and his girl friend (now Mrs. Handley) were the only persons to have discerned any change in MacLennan in the few weeks preceding his death. Mrs. Thomson, (whom MacLennan regarded almost as a member of his family and who thought of herself as a mother to MacLennan), saw MacLennan some ten days before
1 See Jimmy's evidence at Transcript page 1278.
See Leung Sze-piu's evidence at Transcript page 6599 and Commission Exhibits No. B135 & 137.
2
3 See Handley's statement of 18 January 1980.
4
See Whiteley's statement of 24 January 1980.
5
See Handley's statement of 18 January 1980.
6
See Mrs. Thomson's evidence at Transcript page 2072.