UNCLASSIFIED
нисого!.
UNCLASSIFIED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER CHA/L
OF 200125Z MARCH 91
25 MAR 1930
pa.
Масан
INFO TELELETTER LISBON, CONSULAR DEPARTMENT
(25)
002223 MDTTAN 0111
FROM GRAHAM, BTC HONG KONG
FOLLOWING FOR GEOFFREY LLOYD ESQ, CONSULAR DEPT, FCO COPIED TO JOHN EDEN ESQ, LISBON
CJ SAINTY ESQ, HKD, FCO
SAINTY ES
LINDSAY CHARNOCK COURT CASE
OUR TELELETTER CHA/L OF TT MARCH 1991
1.
TWO MAJOR TWISTS IN THE CASE HAVE EXTENDED PROCEEDINGS.
MORE FORMALITY TO BE GONE THROUGH ON 2 APRIL WHEN EVERYONE
EXPECTS CHARNOCK WILL BE ACQUITTED.
ONE
2. I MET CHARNOCK ON THE EVENING OF 14 MARCH AND ATTENDED THE
SECOND HEARING ON 15 MARCH. KEVIN WILLIAMS, THE SOLE PROSECUTION WITNESS, CAME FROM AUSTRALIA AND STATED UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT HE HAD NOTHING TO HIDE AND THAT CHARNOCK HAD DRIVEN THE CAR. CHARNOCK
REPEATED HE COULD REMEMBER NOTHING AND THEREFORE COULD NOT SAY
FLATLY THAT HE HAD NOT DRIVEN THE CAR. BUT HE THOUGHT IT VERY, VERY UNLIKELY. HE EXPLAINED WILLIAMS' STATEMENT BY SAYING
WILLIAMS WAS LYING TO SAVE HIS OWN SKIN. THE JUDGE ADJOURNED THE
COURT TO 18 MARCH. CHARNOCK'S LAWYER PAZ THOUGHT THE JUDGE
BELIEVED CHARNOCK BUT LACKED OTHER EVIDENCE TO DECIDE BETWEEN THE
MERITS OF 2 CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS.
3. THE ONLY OTHER SURVIVOR, CARDOSO, THEN MADE A STATEMENT TO PAZ OVER THE WEEKEND WHICH SHE THEN READ IN COURT ON 18 MARCH.
PARTS OF WILLIAMS' STATEMENT HAD BROUGHT BACK HER MEMORY OF THE
CRASH. SHE NOW RECALLED THAT CHARNOCK HAD INDEED GOT INTO THE DRIVING SEAT OF THE CAR, AGAINST HIS WILL, IN THE CAR PARK. HE HAD GONE FORWARD NOT BACKWARD AND BUMPED AGAINST A WALL, UNUSED TO AUTOMATIC GEAR BOXES. WILLIAMS HAD THEN TAKEN OVER AS DRIVER.
SHE REMEMBERED BEGGING WILLIAMS TO SLOW DOWN.
4.
THIS STATEMENT WAS MADE IN TEARS AND THE COURT DID NOT CROSS
1
PAGE
UNCLASSIFIED