DURING THE MICKELBERG - Mint Swindle saga there was a crucial appeal in 1998 when evidence was presented by two UK forensic experts, Dr David Baxendale and Robert Radley. Their expertise was in detecting fabrication of documents and in particular where documents had been rewritten contrary to the perpetrator’s story. Both scientists had worked exclusively for the prosecution with the exception of less than a half dozen defence cases including the infamous Irish cases of fabricated confessions.
Radley and Baxendale had separately arrived at a similar, extraordinary conclusion: the so-called confession of Peter Mickelberg, written down as it was spoken by Detective Sergeant Anthony Lewandowski upon the incisive interrogation of Detective Sergeant Donald Leslie Hancock, was a fake. Using a device called ESDA, electrostatic detection apparatus, they were able to discern that the first three pages at least had been substantially rewritten with large chunks left out and additions written later. It contradicted all the previous evidence at the original trial and at an appeal in 1987 when Lewandowski said quite specifically, on oath, that he wrote down every word as it was said with nothing added in and nothing left out. There was a further key point by Radley and Baxendale. There was a substantial break in the taking down of notes, contrary to the previous evidence. The Micks should have been home and hosed!
Enter, the Beak from Broadway, one of the finest performers of the 1998 Review -- Assistant Commissioner of Police, Robert C. Kucera. Not just nattily dressed in his No. 1’s, he was unwrinkled perfection. Crease edges like knife blades. Marched down to the witness box and went upon his solemn oath to the whole truth and all that stuff.
Yes, he told the attentive court, there was indeed a substantial break in the interview because he had entered the interrogation room where he had seen Lewandowski reading ‘something’ back to Peter Mickelberg and there was a long break when Bob popped out to buy a hamburger for Peter. It was a moment of rare compassion for Peter and an even rarer moment when the officer in charge of a significant police station popped out to get the burger for lunch like some junior gopher. And paid for it, too.
That was your first mistake, Bob!
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