96
an's,
Christmas. She said that he was "in very good form" on this occasion. Felix Muller, another good friend of Mac) saw him on 10 January 1980. MacLennan appeared to him to be very happy and relaxed, and they went back to his (MacLennan's) flat for some Irish coffee together with MacLennan's girl friend Sally Haddon. Miss Haddon said of that occasion: "He was in very good mood, in fact. After dinner, I went back to his flat and then he brought me home."7
9.
Late at night on 13 January 1980, Handley and his girl friend again visited MacLennan. Handley described him as being relaxed, the perfect host plying him and his girl friend with drinks, and made a fuss of his girl friend, which MacLennan did not normally do. MacLennan was also visited by Inspector Nicholas Angell and his girl friend (now Mrs. Angell). Angell described MacLennan "to be quite normal and behaved no differently from other occasions when I have met him."
Angell also made arrangements with MacLennan to meet Inspector Christopher Burns (also one of MacLennan's best friends) and his wife at Kai Tak Airport on 16 January. Burns had previously telephoned MacLennan to say that he would be back in Hong Kong on 16 January 1980 and had requested to be met at the Airport. Angell and his girl friend did not leave MacLennan's flat until 3 a.m. on 14 January 1980.
10.
"18
Between the 12th and the 13th January 1980, MacLennan had made a number of further commitments. He had telephoned his friend Miss Haddon and arranged to meet her on Thursday, 17 January 1980. He had also arranged to have dinner with the Thomsons at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, 15 January.
11.
Up to this point, despite Handley's observations, and Jimmy's warning, the evidence did not point to any sign of noticeable anxiety on the part of MacLennan. The position, however, changed markedly on the 14th.
B. EVENTS ON 14 JANUARY 1980
12.
This day saw the second step towards the arrest of Inspector MacLennan. The first step had been taken on 11 January 1980, when Ross telephoned Senior Superintendent Trotman that MacLennan was to be arrested by officers of the SIU on eight counts of gross indecency. Ross asked Trotman to make MacLennan available at the Divisional Superintendent's office at 10 a.m. on 15 January 1980. Trotman asked if that time could be put back half an hour. Ross agreed. He also asked Ross if the District Police Commander had been informed, to which Ross' replay was "No". That
was the sum total of the conversation that the two had.9
13.
Trotman then informed Mr. Li Kwan-ha (at that time District Police Commander, Kowloon) of his conversation with Ross. Li asked Trotman to ensure that all the usual procedures were adopted and that the Divisional Staff Relation Officer should be made available. Again, that was all that was said.
14.
Sometime in the morning of 14 January 1980, Trotman instructed Senior Inspector I. C. Grant (MacLennan's immediate senior officer) to arrange for MacLennan to meet him at his office. Grant telephoned MacLennan, and MacLennan duly reported at Trotman's office at about 12.45 p.m. Trotman's evidence was as follows:- 10
15.
"I told him the following day, which was the 15th, that personnel would be coming from CID, Police Headquarters, to interview him.
He then asked from where in CID Headquarters.
I replied, from SIU.
He said to me: 'I thought all that nonsense was finished with ages ago.'
It did not mean anything to me at that particular time."
It should be noted that Trotman never told MacLennan that he was to be arrested. However, as there was nothing to indicate that the charges which were to be brought against MacLennan were not properly brought, it must have been within, or ought to have been within, Trotman's knowledge that MacLennan would be left with no doubt that the visit of the SIU would bring him face to face with those who had been investigating his homosexual connections. Whatever the rights and wrongs of this course of action-I shall come back to this in the concluding pages of this Chapter
-it became clear in the afternoon that day, that John MacLennan was in a state of some anxiety.
16.
MacLennan went back to the Bar at the Ho Man Tin Service Flat. Liu Tai-lun, Barman, recalled that MacLennan arrived some time after 12 noon. (he could not be precise as to when) and did not leave until 2 p.m. For much of that time, he was the only customer in the Bar. MacLennan refused his usual whiskey and asked for a Vodka Double with orange juice. He changed a cheque for $200 and made a number of telephone calls, after which, he asked for another Vodka Double with orange juice. Liu did not overhear the telephone conversations, the telephone being at the far end of the bar. MacLennan left and paid for the two drinks in cash-he usually signed chits. That was the last time that Liu saw MacLennan alive.
7 See Haddon's statement of 7 February 1980.
8 See Angell's statement of 19 January 1980.
9
See Transcript pages 8463 (Ross) and 9607 (Trotman).
10
See Trotman's evidence at Transcript pages 9610-9611.
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