[AusRace] The SP, a shark, and the long arm of the Law

[Tony Moffat]

When fishing off a small boat just outside the breakers at Coogee a 14 foot
tiger shark was snared.
That is big, and on braid, it being pre-nylon in 1935 when this happened.
The shark was trailed ashore and taken over by the aquarium nearby. 

The shark disgorged a complete human arm and had not eaten anything  while
being observed.

The arm had tattoos of two boxers, the hands were fingerprinted and these
matched SP Jimmy Smith.

There was a summation that Smith had cheated on other crime figures, not SP
related though, and that Reginald Holmes
was involved, and further, Smith had been lured to a seaside house to meet
Patrick Brady and Brady had been recruited by
Holmes to murder Smith. The arm was severed from the body, and shown as
proof of the deed most foul having been completed, and the arm was 
thrown in the sea to dispose of it, and this allows the entry of the shark
to this story.

Later, on the harbour now, the Police were called to the matter of an out of
control launch and on this launch the found
Holmes with a bullet wound, to the head. Holmes maintained he had been shot
by an unknown man, and again there was a summation that 
Holmes had meant to suicide but this failed, it has to be said, and Holmes
was treated by a nurse and allowed to go home.

Brady gave  series of statements and records or interview to Police,  and
Detectives charged Brady with murder, of Smith.

Later, before the inquest of the presence of the arm, Holmes was found dead
at Dawes Point, near the Bridge, murdered
by shooting, 3 times under the heart with a .32" calibre firearm.

Holmes widow told the inquest that her husband told her that Brady killed
Smith, no specifics known.

The defence argued that this information was hearsay, (it needs
corroboration to be admitted), and so it's inadmissible as it is.
Further, an arm did not constitute a body, and Smith may well be alive,
without his arm. Although not habeas corpus, it kind of is.

Brady was acquitted after inquest evidence was allowed and admitted. 

Smith was a SP in a South Coast town, the other SP was the Undertaker. Apart
from his perceived dislike by Holmes, Smith appears harmless.

Cheers

Tony


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