20/06/96 - Statement of WOLFGANG FORREST BIRD
Forenames WOLFGANG FORREST
Occupation POL DC
1C 1
Height 6'1
Number of Pages 4
Dated 200696 W F BIRD Signed
I make this statement of my own free will. I understand that I do not have to say anything but that it may harm my defence if I do not mention when questioned something which I later reply on in court. This statement may be giyen in evidence. I have been held on remand at H.M.P. Norwich since the 180596. I have been held in custody for about 5 weeks.
I am being held in a Segregation Unit at H.M.P. Norwich. I am held in a cell alone. This cell is about ten (10 foot by six (6) foot. I have a bed and a cardboard table and chair. The walls are covered by remnants of food. There is also a toilet and a wash basin. The Segregation Unit is the punishment house where the most difficult prisoners are held for short periods of time.
I am in my cell generally for twenty three hours a day subject to time for visits and exercise (which is generally thirty (30) minutes to an hour). I have very limited opportunity to hold a conversation with anybody else. I receive regular verbal abuse. I am at present receiving medication for depression and sleeping problems. I have regular medical checks'.
I do not feel mentally alert and. I feel I would have an inability to concentrate during an interview. I make this statement with the assistance of my legal representative. On the 290296 my registered informant, Darren NICHOLLS (pseudonym Ken RUGBY) provided me with information regarding the location of a quantity of cannabis resin. Details are recorded on an Essex Police Registered Informant Contact Form dated 290295, this in fact relates to 290296.
The wrong date was entered in error. I completed this form. The next day on the 010396 I met with Darren NICHOLLS and he identified the location of the cannabis resin. This is recorded on the same Essex Police form, dated 010396, and completed by me. These forms are handed to and logged by, the Detective Inspector.
As a result of this information I informed DS STIMPSON and arrangements through Detective Inspector ORPE were made for an Essex Police Diving Team to search for the cannabis resin and retrieve it if found. The same day a Diving Team attended ARC Pits, Church Lane, Bocking. After searching for some while they recovered a quantity of plastic bags and a holdall containing cannabis resin. The plastic bags were open and torn in varying degrees.
The cannabis resin was mushed, a number of blocks were broken. The cannabis resin was also saturated. The amount of cannabis resin was not weighed at the lake. DS STIMPSON and I, at the conclusion of the search, returned to Braintree Police Station with the recovered cannabis resin. We went straight to the Police Station from ARC Pits without interruption.
At the Police Station it was decided to store the cannabis resin in a lock up garage because of the smell and its saturated condition. DS STIMPSON and I laid out a number of blocks to dry, placed the mushier cannabis resin in a property bag and left the original bags and the holdall to dry. All the cannabis resin was placed in the lock up garage. I did not know how much had been recovered.
It was too wet to weigh, we did not have scales and a Scenes of Crime Officer was due to attend. As far as I am aware there was one key to the lock up. This was one of the reasons it was chosen for storage. The lock up was locked. After this day I attended the lock up on two more occasions.
Once with DS STIMPSON and a senior Scenes of Crime Officer to assess the suitability of the cannabis resin for analysis. Secondly, with PC NEAFSEY and a reporter from a local newspaper for publicity photograph. I did not retain the key at any time. The one occasion I had possession of the key was when PC NEAFSEY the reporter and I attended the lock up. We left the lock up together at the end of the visit.
I can not remember if PC NEAFSEY or I obtained the key for the purpose of the visit and which one of us returned it. I did not retain the key at any stage. I remember that when PC NEAFSEY and I attended the lock up with the reporter the cannabis resin had all been placed in Essex Police Property bags and sealed. They were photographed still sealed. I did not know who had sealed the cannabis resin or when it was done.
I am aware that approximately one week later a further search of ARC Pits was conducted and a further quantity of cannabis resin recovered. I was not involved in this and at no time had contact with this quantity of cannabis resin later recovered. At no time from the point of being made aware of the location of the cannabis resin until its being sent to the laboratory have I stolen any of this cannabis resin.
I totally deny the allegation against me. All reports concerning the seizure were to my knowledge as estimate of recovery based upon information from Darren NICHOLLS and heightened from maximum positive publicity. Darren NICHOLLS, as my registered informant, received a reward of four hundred pounds for the information he supplied. I have not at any time received any of this sum from him and totally deny the allegation against me.
The information from Darren NICHOLLS was that he was aware of the location of the cannabis resin; he was sketchy as to detail. At no time did he admit to me that he was responsible for putting the cannabis resin in the ARC Pit. When I pushed him to provide more details and the source of his knowledge he provided the details recorded in the Contact Forms.
Although I had my doubts as to the explanations he was providing I did not feel that I had reasonable grounds to act further at that time. I deny the allegations that Darren NICHOLLS now makes against me. I would like to add that D.I. ORPE was responsible for organising the diving team. I am aware that he had difficulty getting authority because the information was from an untried source and necessitated calling out officers at short notice.
The officers investigating this matter have indicated to me that members of the diving team state that they met DS STIMPSON and I with a further bag of seized cannabis resin at Braintree Police Station after our return. I do not clearly recall this but if that was the case this part of the seizure would have been placed with the rest.
