"You are a disgrace to the Indian community here. It is my duty to fee that you do not do this any more. You will go to prison for five years and at the end of the sentence you will be deported {rom China." These words were said by Judge Allan G. Mossop to Dava Singh, alias Dewar Singh, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of being a participant with five Chinese in an. armed robbery. The case was tried in H. M. Supreme Court on Tuesday (June 19) before a jury of five, Mr. Victor Priestwood prosecuted.
The actual wording of the charge was that Dava Singh had on Decem~ ber 20 last year participated with five Chinese in an armed robbery in house 8 Sai lo Fong alley, off Avenue Dubail, and had stolen $2,160 in. money and jewels.
The five members of the jury were Messrs. J. O. Pote-Hunt, J. Hf. Ratcliff, LIH, Sturrock, and W.
"They returned a verdict of
Singh chore to make a statement ater 22 minutes., Dave rather than give evidence in the wit-amination. He denied committing the etlme and said that the Police had always suspected him for robbery. He said that the crime had been fabricated against, him.
Det. Sub-Inspr. Frank J. Willi frst called to the witness box, gave evidence of arrest. He stated that At that time the prisoner was clean @uven and had no head covering. Yesterday as the prisoner stood list lessly in the dock, he had a black beard and wore a yellow turban. The arrest was carried out on January 18 at 692 Bast Seward Road, After the charge was read out to him the accused made no comment.
Won Tu-sze, mistress of the house, told the Court how the crime had been carried out. Dava Singh came into the house with two Chinese. The next thing that happened was that the two Chinese came into her room and pointed pistols, at her. They told Her not to be afraid and said they were Police in search of contraband goods. She at frst fused to give up her keys but later was. forced to do so by one of the Fobbers who threatened to shoot liber unless she complied. She was made to go in the bathroom where the rest of the inmates of the hous were also gathered, thirteen in all The accused then kept guard over them with @ pistol. After about an hour the two Chinese returned to the bathroom and tied their arms behind their backs in pairs. The Indian and Chinese closed the door fand lett them, saying that they had borrowed something from them. Atter" ten minutes they managed to free themselves. On entering her bedroom. she found that it ransacked. Money and jewellery been taken, The jewellery she estimated at $5,000 and $400 in notes were missing. She then went, into the street and raised the alarm. More than ten days later she went to special branch of Central Police Station where among many others picked out a photograph of the Becused. "She was then shown some 40 Indians and picked out the accused from among them. She was quite certain that the man up for trial was the same one who had taken part in the robbery.
similar evidence was given by Miss 'Sung. Wong-sze, the niece of Mrs. Wong, who was present at the house When' the crime was committed. She Was equally positive that the accused Was the same man who had taken part in the robbery.
Tsou Ya-di, a tailor in the employ of Mr, and Mfrs. Wong, was the fourth ud. last. witness called by the prosecution, His evidence differed slight from the previous two. He stated the Indian and two Chinese entered ind after that two or, three more Chinese came into the house.
Dava Singh has had two previous convictions, Both were for stealing and in each case he had been imprisoned for three months.
Judge Mossop commenting on this said: "I do not know how long you have been in China but on August 31, 1982, you were charged with snatching handbags from Chinese and stealing their property and you were dealt with very leniently by the HE. M, Police Court Magistrate. You do not appear to have benefitted tom these experiences and you have now committed a very serious offence in conjunction with Chinese accom-pushes' and committed an armed Fobbery in this house."
Judge Mossop then passed sentence on the accused. He stated that the reason for the trial coming up so long after the arrest of Dava Singh was that the accused had been hospital for four months and this was the first opportunity for him to face his trial.
Before Judge A. G. Mossop, in H. M. Supreme Court on Saturday, mor-jing, the order of re-deportation of /Karm Singh was confirmed. Mr. Victor -Priestwood appeared for the The accused, a seditionist, was Jordered to be deported to India in 1929, but returned to China on was not until April 18 this year that he was arrested.
'When brought before H. M. Police court the accused shouted ant-irish Sogens atte top of his voice Mtr months' gaol term here.
secdportation, afer serving nores mode ton" order for
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.