Paul John

DETAILS OF DEATH

About 9pm on 11 March 1967 Constable Baines and Senior Constable Tutill were engaged in Special Hoodlum Patrol duties when they arrested two men outside a Guildford hotel. After the two offenders were taken to the Merrylands Police Station they refused to cooperate with Police and forced their way out of the dock on several occasions. They then resisted violently as they were returned to the dock. When the two Police removed the men to the cell area a violent struggle ensued and Constable Baines was kicked and punched several times. After the offenders were secured in a cell Constable Baines was found to be in a distressed condition and shortly thereafter he collapsed. He was taken to the Fairfield Hospital where he suffered a coronary occlusion and died on 23 March 1967. The Constable was born in 1929 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 8 July 1957. At the time of his death he was stationed at Merrylands.