Siege-trial jury told of 'death lottery

The jury in the Spaghetti House siege trial at the Central Criminal Court yesterday was told of a " death lottery ". Draw number one, it was stated, was arranged to select a captive to relay the gunmen's demands to the police outside, but draw number two had a different prize: death for tde "vinner", if the demands taken out by the first hostage were not met within an hour.

Mr Alfredo Ollivelli, the first Crown witness, said he was one of the Spaghetti House hostages. Franklin Davies, one of the six defendants, Planned the two draws, he said.

Only two of the men accused of offences connected wvith the siege were in the dock. They were Samuel Addison, aged 32, and Norbert Rondel, aged 48.

Franklin Davies, Wesley Dick and Anthony Munroe are charged with assualt with intent to rob. and wvith assaulting, imprisoning and detaining persons against their wtvill. Lillo Termine and Mr Rondel are charged with conspiring with Mr Davies and other persons unknown to rob.

Mr Addison is charged wvith assault wvith intent to rob. Mr Mtunroe, Mr Dick, Mr Davies and' Mlr Addison are also chareed with firearm offences. Mr Termine has pleaded guilty to his part in the raid; not guilty pleas hav'e been entered to the other charges.

Mr Ollivelli, director of Pizza House Ltd said managers of restaurants in the group usually went to the Spaghetti House to bank Friday and Saturday takings.

On the night the siege started nine people were there. The money, ready to be paid into the night safe at Barclays bank, Hyde Park Corner, amounted to £12,284.

About 1.30 am, as thev put out the lights, three -men wvalked towards them and demanded money.

"Somehowv we nmanaged to get rid ' of the bags"', Mr Ollivelli said. One of the brief cases was thrown at the side

of a coat rack and another under a table.

"The three men aske'd for the takings and we told them we did not have them ", he said. "They threatened us but it got them nowhere. They told us to turn round and go downstairs."

As they were going down, one of the captives escaped. Within a few minutes the police arrived.

On the Sunday afternoon, Mr Ollivelli said, he was given a note written on a serviette and allowed out of the room, after 18 hours there, to hand to the police.

He said that numbers for the lottery were made up and put into a container, but it did not go beyond that.

Mr Bruno Berni, of the Holborn Spaghetti House, agreed 'with Mr Nigel Cockburn, for the defence of Mr Davies, that Mr Davies took guns from the other two at the end of the siege. All the hostages kissed Mr Davies at the end of the siege, and Mr Davies and the hostages were in tears. He denied hearing one...