Accused halt Spaghhetti Housesiege tria

By Clive Borrell

The Spaghetti House restaurant siege trWia, wvhich opened at the Central Criminal Court- yesterday, was halted whfen three men, who re fused to reco,g-nize the court, threatened tto fight fhpir way out unless they were allowed to leave the dock.

Judge Griffith-Jo nes, the Common Serjeant, said - " Are you prepared -to listeii ? " One of the defendants, who throughout had stood in the dock wvith his back to ithe court, repli'ed: "We are not prepared to listen anry more." They wvere taken to the cells and were not seen iin court again.

Earlier, six men, iincluding a Lo.aLrdon club orwner, filed into the dock to face charges arising out of the six-day siege at the restaurant in Knightsbridge, London, lost September, during wyhich eight I1taliains were held ,hostage at gunpobiut.

The six, defendants were Lillo Calogero Termi-ne, aged 33, a barber, of Sunningdale Avenue, Acton; Wesley Dick, aged 23, unemployed. of Kensington Park Road, Notting- Hill; Franklin Davies, aged 28, unemployed, of Rupert Court, Soho; Anthony Munroe, aged 22, unemnployed, of Kenisington Par-k Road,; Samuel Addison, aged 32, of Studley Road, Clapham; and Norbert Frederick Rondel, aged 48, a club owner, of Rupert Street, Soho.

Afte- the first of six charges had been read, in which it was alleged that the six conspired vith others between August 1 and September 29 last year to rob "such persons as might be

found at the Spaghetti House restaurant", they were asked to plead. -Mr Termine said:

"Guilty ". When the samecharge was put to Mr Dick, Mr Davies and Mr Munroe, they held above their heads two banners on which was written " Bury fascism ". Police officers took the banners away.

Mr Addison and Mr Rondel both denied the charge. Mr Termine, who faces only one charge, was told he would be sentenced at the end of the trial.

Mr Rondel pleaded not auilty to selling firearms to the other defendants, and Mr Addison also pleaded not guilty to attempted robbery at the Spaghetti House, pbssessing firearms, with intent to -commit r obbery, and attempting to perve-t the course of justice.

There were 18 objections to potential jurors, most of them womeni- before 11 men and one woman wrere empanelled. Mr Davies shouted: "Get some black guys on this jury".

Mr John Mathew, for the Crown, said that after just over £12,000 had been placed in two briefcases Mr Dick, Mr Davies aud Mr Munro burst into the restaturanIt with guns. They forced nine employees into a basemelnt store r oom but one escaped and called the police.

The three men, wvho barricaded themselves into the store room with their eight hostages, demanded to be allowed to leave the country. That was refused, and the* three surrendered and the hostages wvere unharmed.

The trial continues today.