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PELLY'S COVERING REPORT ON THE DEATH OF MACLENNAN
Appendix 39
INTRODUCTION
SUBJECT: SUICIDE MR. JOHN MACLENNAN
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John MacLennan (the deceased) was born on 3rd October 1950 in Ross-Cromarty in Scotland. He went to school in Scotland. He served 41⁄2 years with the Sterling and Clackmannon Constabulary prior to joining the Royal Hong Kong Police on 22nd October 1973. Mr. J. Mansell, Senior Superintendent of Police will refer to the deceased's record of service and personal file and state that he attended the Police Training School at Aberdeen from October 1973- May 1974.
May 1974. His results were not good and he was informed at the completion of the course that he was an officer with limited potential.
2.
From May 1974 to January 1975 he was posted to Kwuntong division where he was well reported on by his Divisional Commander. He then attended the Police Tactical Unit course in Fanling followed by an attachment to Kowloon District and again he was well reported on by Mr. R. Clibborn Dyer, Superintendent of Police. Mr. D.E. Child, Superintendent of Police will state that
he was then posted to the Emergency Unit of Kowloon East for a few months and in April 1976 Mr. R.C. Smallshaw will state that he was posted to the Criminal Investigation Department of Kwuntong where he remained until he went on vacation leave in October 1976. During the first tour his reports steadily improved and prior to proceeding on vacation leave he completed an Aide Memoire where he selected Special Branch as his first choice of duty post on his next tour.
SPECIAL BRANCH
3.
On returning from vacation leave in March 1977 the deceased was posted to Special Branch. Mr. Geoffrey William Roper a Senior Superintendent of Police will state that in March 1977 he was in charge of the Special Branch section dealing with Government security and vetting and that part of this work involved a knowledge of the homosexual world in Hong Kong. The group head was Mr. Brian Haigh, Chief Superintendent. He will further state that the deceased was posted to this unit after he had been vetted and his character, personality and temperament had been studied. He will say that the deceased was not actively engaged in the investigation of homosexuals but was only engaged in an office where he had access to files. Whilst in Special Branch the deceased saw the names of two Senior Police Officers on a list connected with homosexuals. They were Mr. Roy Henry, then Deputy Commissioner of Police. He will state that the document on which the deceased saw the name of Mr. Henry was only a carding sheet in the front of a file relating to a report that had once been in that file concerning rumours about r. Henry
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