A Policeman’s Lot 12….Big Problems in Little China

In my last blog post I mentioned that there were two episodes that stood out in my memory from my time crewing Charlie One…..The second event was very different from the first. It also fits in very nicely with this being Chinese New Year.

One of the most interesting and vibrant parts of Soho is the area around Gerrard Street that is most commonly known as London’s China Town….This area, located close to Leicester Square has (of course) a wide selection of Chinese restaurants but it also has a unique and distinctly seedy side to it. All of the criminal underworld elements of life in this area are controlled by organised Chinese criminal gangs or secret societies called Triads……These gangs are well known for the extreme violence that they use in their dealings with each other.

Late one afternoon Dave and I were again crewing Charlie One and we heard a call go out from Scotland Yard to Charlie Two….The call was to a serious assault at a restaurant in Gerrard Street….The crew of Charlie Two accepted the call over the main RT set….The female RT operator left the vehicle and entered the restaurant to assess the call…..She was using her personal radio to communicate with the local station (Bow Street) The Communications officer at Bow Street was feeding her the latest information as it came in….”Apparently it’s a serious assault on a Chinese wedding party at the restaurant…..Can you see anyone there?”

“Not at at the moment …..It all seems very quiet…..I’m just going into another room and……OH MY GOD! …..As much help and assistance as possible …And ambulances…..SERIOUS injuries and get the CID down here for a possible murder scene.”

We were some little way away when the call for assistance went up and Dave gunned the throttle to get us there very quickly indeed but we were not needed in the restaurant itself…..It seems that one Triad gang were upset when a couple connected to another gang decided to hold their wedding reception in a restaurant that was located in a part of China Town that they considered to be their territory….The chosen weapons in this type of attack are usually bladed weapons and in particular machetes…..It does not require much imagination to understand the type of injuries that were inflicted by the attackers.

The Detective Inspector in charge of the scene ordered that every available officer not involved in the restaurant itself should be put in a ring encircling the entire block and anyone leaving the area should be questioned to ascertain whether they may have been involved in the attack…. I was directed to a tiny courtyard that ran between Gerrard Street and Lisle Street…..The courtyard was dark and dingy….Dotted around the courtyard were some chained up wooden barrows that would have been used in the nearby street markets around Rupert Street and Berwick Street….Amongst these there were some large metal dumper bins that were used by the local restaurants to dispose of their leftover food and other waste….The buildings that encircled the courtyard rose for three or four stories above me…..After the attack the Courtyard was eerily quiet and apart from myself, seemingly deserted….. I stood there and wondered how long I would have to stand in this less than delightful setting….To pass the time I decided that I might as well explore this little area that before that before that afternoon I had no idea even existed….I wandered into the darker areas and examined some of the street traders wooden barrows….Suddenly I heard an unexpected shuffling sound from behind one of the large metal waste bins…..Hiding behind the bin I found a young Chinese male. I’m still not sure which of us was more surprised…..“What are you doing hiding behind the bin?”…..No answer.

“Can you speak English?”……No Answer

It suddenly dawned on me that I had just found a possible suspect in what was, in all probability a murder enquiry!

I indicated to him to come out into the open from behind the bin…..He seemed reluctant……I could see no sign of any weapons and he didn’t seem disposed to pose any immediate threat so I stepped towards him to pull him out…..As soon as he moved, it was obvious that he was in pain and that he couldn’t put any weight on his right leg…… A cursory examination of his foot showed that it was already swollen and was probably fractured…..I called up for assistance and it was decided that the injured man should be taken to straight hospital… but since he was a possible suspect in the attack he was not to be left alone at any time….And he should be thoroughly searched before getting into the ambulance.

My searches revealed nothing untoward….Again I asked him some questions….Again, he either could not understand me…..Or didn’t want to answer…..Eventually a Detective Sergeant arrived at the hospital….”How is he?”

“They’ve X-rayed him and he’s got a broken ankle….I think he may have jumped from one of the windows into the courtyard.”

“Sounds reasonable, Is he saying anything?”

“Not a word.”

“In that case….He is a suspect until we can prove otherwise. When you get a chance, write out an arrest report before you leave. OK?”

I did as had been requested and then called Dave to pick me up from the hospital. We were both very hungry….”Do you fancy a Chinese, Bob?”

“Not really, Dave. No.”

After our meal we continued our patrol….By the time we went off duty there was no word from the hospital or from the CID….”Is this your first arrest for Murder, then Bob?” Teased Dave.

“Yes, Dave.”

“First of many, no doubt!”

“I doubt it. Dave.”

Next day, as soon as we came on duty we popped into Bow Street and asked if any progress had been made with my murder suspect….”He’s been discharged from hospital and is still in custody but is still refusing to say anything at all….He’s been interviewed with an interpreter present but is still keeping quiet”

And so it continued for several more days….Until a missing persons report was filed by a worried Chinese family in North London whose son had not been home for several days….The family were shown a photo of our suspect and confirmed that our suspect was indeed their son….Who (as far as they were aware) had no links to any Triad gangs…Our suspect maintained his right to silence….Until his mother started to question him herself…..In English…..The truth finally emerged…..Our suspect had left home with the intention of going to an illegal gaming house in China Town….In order to get there he’d borrowed his uncle’s car….For which he was NOT insured to drive…..The rooms where he was gambling were connected to the restaurant where the attack took place….The gamblers all fled in fear of being caught up in the attack and our suspect decided to jump out of an open window and escape via the courtyard….Unfortunately for him he landed awkwardly and broke his ankle….He’d hoped that he could hobble away unnoticed….But my arrival prevented that from happening…..”Then why on Earth didn’t he just tell us all this rather than allow us to think he may have been part of the attack?”

“Because he thought that if he admitted driving his uncle’s car without insurance then he would get his uncle into trouble which would bring disgrace him…..And so he decided not to say anything at all”.

So that was the end of that….I think they considered a charge of Wasting Police Time…But even that was dropped in the end.

I couldn’t help but giggle….My arrest for suspected murder had just been downgraded to a traffic violation!….Dave was a big help….”You should look on the bright side. Bob….There can’t be many other coppers around who have arrested someone on suspicion of murder only to find out that the only offence committed was driving without insurance!”

“Yes. Thanks for that Dave.”

If there are any Cantonese speakers reading this post….May I wish them all

“Kung hay fat Choi” for the year of the Ox.