ee er we tm ee deem on ree oben aera Tintern, « SEPTIC M Mtig uen rPrA RE an e ere, April 10, 1985 — News 985-2131 Classified 986-6222 Circulation 986-1337 56 pages 25¢ Kidnapped own child A NORTH Vancouver lawyer has been found guiity of abducting his seven-year-old: son in a case that may set precedents for future custody battles. By LYNN BLANCHARD | John Bayntun was found” guilty of abducting his son November [4 and given a conditional discharge with 18 months probation. Bayntun’s ex-wife, Clare Cunningham, had been awarded custody of their son with an access order allow- ing Bayntun to visit every other weekend. According to court testi- mony, Bayntun took the boy from Windsor House School in November without consent.He took his son to Pender Harbour, returned three days later and was ar- rested and charged by the RCMP when he was found hiding in his apartment closet. Bayntun testified Cunn- ingham threatened to take the boy to Guyana where Cunningham’s boyfriend had relatives. . Defence counsel George Angelomatis argued Bayntun was protecting the boy from ‘Smminent harm’? and as a concerned father did what was necessary. But Judge J.K. Shaw said in handing down his sentence he could not see ‘any defense where the boy was in danger of imminent harm.” . Prosecutor Anne Wallace said the ‘‘sole issue is Mr. Bayntun did so without legal defense ... he has to take it before the court.’” The Bayntun case follows recent policy changes con- cerning the handling of vio- lations of custody orders. While such violations were previously handled in family court, the Crown has begun to proceed with the vio- lations under Criminal Code sections dealing with kid- napping. “It deals with parents who abduct children of their own and it’s much stricter than getting just a slap on the wrist,’’ said Wallace. Angelomatis, however, said the legislation. could present problems. . “If the father picks up the kid and is one hour late he is technically in breach of the custody order. I don’t think the criminal process should be brought into it,’ he said. Since the policy change, Wallace said there seems to be more cases of the criminal nature and ‘‘there’s a more serious attitude towards the rights of children.’’ STOLE MONEY ON DAY PAROLE ROBBERY SEEMS to be a hard habit to break for Robert Ross Farrell White. The 35-year-old Van- couver man has been sentenced to four and a half years in jail after pleading “guilty to two counts of robb- ing the Bank of Montreal at 2410 Marine Dr. January 9. White was out on day parole from a Lower Mainland correctional facili- ty at the time of the Dun- darave robbery. According to Cst. Dave Bingham of the West Vancouver Police, he ‘was serving time on a similar charge while out on parole. White, who- police said acted alone in the robbery, led police and tracking dogs on a 30-minute search of the area immediately following the holdup. He was reportedly armed with a handgun at the time of the robbery. But police finally nabbed White about four blocks from the bank after he was spotted walking down the 1900 block of Bellevue holding a plastic shopping bag. Both the money and weapons were recovered at the time of the arrest. No details were released as to how much money was taken in the robbery. A witness to the arrest, who asked not to be iden- tified, said as many as nine ™ police officers were involved in the final arrest of White, who put up a struggle before being -taken to West Van- couver Police headquarters. The witness said about five marked and unmarked police cars attended the Bellevue location. No shots were fired during the struggle and police said no one was injured.