Editors note – We recently published an article entitled “Webber goes for a swim” about a persistent criminal, Edward “Doc” Richardson, being arrested and convicted of prowling in May 1984 after a team of police officers carried out night-time observations in an area off Pitts Bay Road and Fairylands which was being subjected to a series of break-ins and reports of prowling. The team of detectives, led by Detective Inspector George Rose, carried out the surveillance after D/I Rose chose suitable key spots for their observations by carefully studying maps of the area. The planning paid off because on their first night a crouching figure was spotted on the roof of a house and as he dropped to the ground he was clearly seen by torchlight and was instantly recognised as Edward “Doc” Richardson who was well known to the police.
Richardson was chased on foot but managed to get away by jumping into the sea at Soncy Bay, however, he was arrested the next day, admitted the offence, and was taken to court where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for prowling. There were no more crime complaints in the area for many months after his conviction. CLICK HERE to view "Webber goes for a swim".
Shortly after the above article was published we received the following correspondence from our good friend and former detective, Robert “Bob” Kinnon who had served here in the Bermuda Police from 1973 – 1980, mostly in CID. Bob described in detail an almost identical case that occurred in exactly the same area 8 years previously at which time he headed a team of detectives who carried out observations resulting in the chase after and arrest and subsequent conviction of a man for numerous break-ins in the same area. The culprit was none other than the Kenneth "Doc" Richardson.
D.C. Robert "Bob"Kinnon
“I read with interest George Rose's article on "Webber goes for a Swim" regarding Edward “Doc” Richardson. It brought back memories of late 1976 when I was working in Central CID.
Clive Donald was the Detective Chief Inspector and we were experiencing a large number of night-time housebreakings in the Pitts Bay / Fairylands area. I did some research and obtained an ordnance survey map and it appeared apparent to me that whoever was responsible was using the Tribe Road, I believe No 3, near to Field House as a route to commit these housebreaking offences. I went to DCI Donald and asked him to write me off for a week in order that I could carry out night-time obervations in the area of these break-ins.
D.C. Gerry Benson
At this time Gerry Benson was working in uniform in Central Division and I asked if Gerry could be seconded to carry out the observations with me. Mr. Donald readily agreed to it and Gerry and I commenced observations working through the night.
Editors note - Gerry was an excellent choice for this operation because he was superfit and could "run a country mile"!
We secreted ourselves in a bush in a garden on Pitts Bay Road looking directly up the Tribe Road. There were no street lights and it was completely pitch black. On the third night of observations we saw a figure walking towards us down the Tribe Road and we only saw him because he was holding a cigarette in his hand with the end of the cigarette glowing red. This person walked right by us and we were convinced this was our man and that he was on his way to commit housebreakings.
We decided to stay where we were and let him go and commit an offence and wait for him to come back and we would then arrest him. A short time later we heard over the police radio that a man had been disturbed breaking into a house in the Pitts Bay area and we stayed our ground hoping to catch him on his way back. Guess what! Much to our annoyance he, for whatever reason, did not come back onto the Tribe Road. We were gutted but were convinced we were in the right spot.
We continued our observations and were joined by D.C's Stuart Donaldson and Frank DeAllie. It was not until three nights later the same person passed us on the Tribe Road heading towards the Pitts Bay area. Once again we decided to stay our ground. Some time later we heard on the radio that a man had been disturbed again committing a housebreaking offence in the same area. This time, shortly afterwards, he appeared on the Tribe Road. Both Gerry and I left our position and after a short chase he was tackled by Stuart Donaldson, and after a struggle we arrested the man. We held him to the ground and searched him, and in his pocket he had a sharp hook knife, a tear gas pistol, and a pillow case with eye holes cut out. He also had a quantity of Canadian bank notes, and jewellery which had been taken from the housebreaking.
D.C. Stuart Donaldson
The culprit was Edward “Doc” Richardson. He was detained and interviewed the next day by Stuart Donaldson and fully admitted the housebreaking as well as a large number of housebreakings to be "Taken into Consideration” when he appeared in court”.
The following article appeared in the Royal Gazette on 29th January 1977.
They were: breaking and entering a dwelling house and stealing $20 cash; attempting to break and enter a dwelling house with intent to steal; possessing a prohibited weapon, namely a tear gas pistol with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely break, enter and steal; possessing housebreaking instruments in the night-time without lawful excuse, namely a knife, a pair of gloves and a mask. Miss Shirley Simmons appeared on behalf of Richardson and said she was standing in for Mrs. Lois Browne Evans M.P. who would be handling the case. She asked that Richardson be allowed bail. Following objections from Crown Counsel, Mr. Robin McMillan, the magistrate remanded Richardson in custody until February 8 when he will reappear for mention.
Richardson eventually appeared at Supreme Court as reported in the following article in the Royal Gazette dated 8th March 1977:-
Puisne Judge The Hon. Earle SeatonMrs. Priya DeSoysa, Crown Counsel, said that after he was arrested Richardson asked for 23 other offences involving house-breakings to be taken into consideration. Mr. Peter Smith, defending Richardson, said his client had gone to pieces after his relationship with a woman came to a tragic end when she died last year. Instead of accepting the situation and trying to make a new life for himself, he had tried to console himself with gambling, motivated by plain misery and loneliness. He was living off the proceeds of his crimes.
Although he had previous convictions before 1964, he had stayed out of trouble for more than ten years until the woman’s good influence had been removed with her death. Mr. Smith said his client had told him that the cause of the trouble was his wrong attitude to the death of the woman and he realised he had got to change or he would end up in prison all his life. Sentencing Richardson, Mr. Seaton said: “It would seem that you went on a rampage of housebreaking.” He deserved a long custodial sentence, the Puisne Judge said, but defence counsel had moved him to leniency. On the first count, Richardson was sentenced to 12 months in prison, on the second count, four years in prison — those two sentences to run concurrently. On the third count, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to run concurrently with 12 months in prison for the fourth count, but consecutively to the sentences for the first two counts.
Their Commendations read: ‘For zeal, initiative and voluntary dedication to duty culminating in the arrest and conviction of an armed man for numerous housebreakings over a period of time in the vicinity of Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke. Through their efforts, Edward Richardson was eventually arrested, armed with a tear gas gun, and was recently jailed for five years in the Supreme Court after being convicted of the break-ins.
In short Bob identified an issue in respect of offences in and around the Pitts Bay/Fairylands areas and analysed the circumstances in so far as time, day, date, location, M/O, property stolen, type of premises etc and identified the pattern. Some years later we would create an office/standing for such work in the form of a Crime Pattern Analyst! Bob, with the approval of Mr Donald, made physical visits to the areas and then decided a course of action which paid dividends in the subsequent arrest.
There is no question that Bob Kinnon has been an outstanding detective officer which is shown, in this one example, as above. I will attempt to qualify that statement by relating to you that when Bob returned to the UK and resumed police duties in the West Yorkshire Police he continued to display his investigative abilities, regardless of his rank, and had numerous high profile results, particularly when he was seconded to the Regional Crime Squad. His abilities, dedication and the like were recognised on a number of occasions and, at Inspector rank when he should have been managing issues rather than being at the 'sharp end', he was named as the outstanding detective officer and given a prestigious award, The Dennis Hoban Award, by the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police Authority, in recognition of his commitment/ability and achievements.
Bob's abilities led to him, following retirement from West Yorkshire Police, to being 'headhunted' to conduct enquiries, investigations and work in operations revolving around 'the troubles' in Northern Ireland.
George Rose undoubtedly recognised Bob's abilities/dedication as I believe it was George who was instrumental in having Bob work for him when George was in charge of Narcotics.