Alfred Conorquie is the former chef charged with robbery for stealing more than $23,000 in a mid-morning robbery at the princess hotel. It should have been an open and shut case since police said they had a confession. But today after three hours of deliberations – a jury of 9 voted 8 to 1 to acquit Conorquie.
The robbery occurred around 9:15 on February of 20th 2006. That is when security guard Kevin Todd was taking two bags filled with money to the accounts section. On the way there Todd says he along with two female employees were confronted by a man wearing a mask. Todd says the man placed a gun to his head and grabbed one of the bags and ran. The gunman jumped the fence and fled in a getaway vehicle that was parked in front of the BTL Park.
Police had a confession from Conorquie which was admitted into the trial but Conorquie who didn’t have a lawyer took the stand and said the police took him to mile 8 on the Western Highway and brutalized him -forcing the confession out of him. Crown counsel Yohhahuseh Cave was the prosecutor.
