UNCLASSIFIED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER CHA/L
OF 110255Z MARCH 91
AND INFO TELELETTER LISBON
UNCLASSIFIED
HKCO201
RECEIVED IN CESTRY 18 MAR 190
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY Action Talen
P.9.
21
146454
MDTTAN 9482
Macau
FROM GRAHAM, BTC HONG KONG
FOLLOWING FOR GEOFFREY LLOYD ESQ, CONSULAR DEPT, FCO AND COPIED TO JOHN EDEN ESQ, LISBON
NTY ESQ, HKD, FCO
C J SAINTY ESQ,
AINTY
LINDSAY CHARNOCK COURT CASE
NR
OUR TELNO 75 OF 5 MARCH
1.
THE CASE OF LINDSAY CHARNOCK, THE ENGLISH JOCKEY ACCUSED OF INVOLUNTARY HOMICIDE IN A CAR CRASH IN MACAU IN JANUARY 1990, WAS HEARD ON 8 MARCH. I ATTENDED PART OF THE TRIAL, WHICH IS
AD JOURNED UNTIL 17 MARCH. CHARNOCK IS LIKELY TO BE ACQUITTED.
2.
THE TRIAL HAS ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IN HONG KONG, NOT LEAST IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST WHOSE 2 EXPATRIATE
RACING CORRESPONDENTS WERE KILLED IN THE CRASH. A FACTUAL FRONT
PAGE ARTICLE IN THE PAPER APPEARED ON 9 MARCH.
3.
THE CASE IS A CLASSIC WHODUNIT. THERE WERE 5 PEOPLE IN THE CAR, WHICH HIT BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE FROM THE MACAU PENINSULA TO TAIPA ISLAND, THROWING 2 INTO THE PEARL RIVER ESTUARY. ONE CORPSE WAS FOUND AND THE OTHER NOT. OF THE 3 SURVIVORS THE SOLITARY (MACANESE) FEMALE SUFFERED A FRACTURED SKULL AND
REMEMBERS NOTHING AT ALL. CHARNOCK WAS INJURED WITH CONCUSSION
AND ALSO REMEMBERS NOTHING. WILLIAMS (AUSTRALIAN), WHO WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE TRIAL, HAS MADE A STATEMENT THAT CHARNOCK WAS DRIVING.
4.
THERE ARE 4 MAJOR POINTS, ALL RAISED AT THE TRIAL, AGAINST WILLIAMS' STATEMENT. FIRSTLY CHARNOCK'S ENGLISH DRIVING LICENCE
HAD BEEN SUSPENDED IN 1988, AND HE HAS NOT DRIVEN IN MACAU.
SECONDLY THE CAR WAS ISSUED TO WILLIAMS BY THE JOCKEY CLUB AND
OTHER DRIVERS WERE NOT PERMITTED. THIRDLY WILLIAMS TOLD THE HONG
KONG STANDARD AFTER THE CRASH THAT IAN MANNING (WHO DIED) HAD
BEEN DRIVING. FOURTHLY CHARNOCK HAD JUST BEEN BANNED FROM RIDING
1
PAGE
UNCLASSIFIED