Richard Basil Scudds 1925-1991

[Scudds, Richard Basil: Service Number - NX202853 :Date of birth - 17 Nov 1925 :Place of birth - Sydney, NSW : Place of enlistment - Paddington, NSW :Next of Kin - Scudds, Robert. Contents date range 1939-1948. Unit - 3rd Australian Recruit Training Battalion, Cowra, Australian Military Forces: Date of Court Martial - (21 December 1944).] [The Courier Mail (Brisbane, Qld.), Saturday 8 December 1945 p2 Article. 12 Months Goal. Richard Basil Scudds, 20, soldier, was sentenced to 12 months gaol yesterday, when he pleaded guilty to having stolen with violence in the Ulster Hotel City, three tins of tobacco, the property of Alfred Anderson. Mr. Justice E. A Douglas directed that after six months the rest of the sentence be suspended on Scudds giving a £20 bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months.] [The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld), Thursday 22 November 1945 p5 Article. Hotel man hit with hammer. A military slouch hat and a tobacco tin with the name 'Scudds' scratched on the lid were handed to detectives after Alfred Anderson, licensee of the Ulster Hotel, Edward and Elizabeth streets, had been struck on the head with a hammer, said Detective W. Raetz in the Police Court yesterday. Richard Basil Scudds, 19, of the A.I.F., pleaded guilty to having stolen in the dwelling of Anderson three tins of tobacco, a claw hammer, and a bunch of keys, property of Anderson, and a cigarette lighter, property of W. Armstrong, and with having used violence to Anderson. Raetz told Mr. Colin Murphy (for Scudds) that Scudds had been drinking. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.] [The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW), Sunday 24 February 1952 p3 Article. Second Case. Richard Basil Scudds, 26, labourer, of Barcom Avenue, Darlinghurst, was remanded without bail by Mr. Bott, S.M., at the Central Court yesterday on a charge of having feloniously and maliciously murdered Richard James Scudds on November 21 1947, at Botany. Police allege that Richard James Scudds was the son of the accused, and that at the time of his death he was three months old. The accused did not apply for bail. He will appear at the Central Court again on March 3. Police have not found the body of the baby.] [The Canberra Times 19 March 1952. Basil Scudds, 26, labourer, Barcom Avenue, Darlinghurst had confessed to his wife that he had murdered their three-months-old son. Scudds appeared before Mr. Doolan, S.M., on a charge of having murdered Richard James Scudds at Botany on November 21 1947. Det.-Sgt. Fagan, C/LB., Basil Scudds lied...] [Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW), Thursday 21 May 1953 p5 Article. Man Ignores Court Order. Sydney: Action for contempt of court is expected to be taken soon against Richard Basil Scudds for failure to produce his son after an Equity Court order. He should have handed over the five years old boy to his wife Mrs. Florence Doris Scudds, by 10a.m. on Monday. Scudds was acquitted on June 3 last year of having murdered his son. Richard James Scudds. He claimed the boy was alive and well, but refused to reveal where he was. Mrs. Scudds, who lives at Mascot, Sydney, discussed further action with her lawyers.] [The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 3 September 1954 p9 Article. Father Seeks to Purge Contempt. Richard Basil Scudds, 28, will apply this morning to purge his contempt of the Equity Court. He has been in gaol since June 4 last year when Mr. Justice Myers, in the Equity Court, imprisoned him for an indefinite period for contempt. Scudds had failed to comply with an order to deliver his son, Richard James Scudds, then aged three months, to his wife, Mrs. Florence Doris Scudds, of Lyon Street, Mascot. Scudds said he did not know where the child was. Murder Charge. On March 19, 1952, Mr. T. A. Doolan, S.M., in Central Court of Petty Sessions, committed Scudds for trial on a charge of having murdered his baby son at Botany on November 21, 1947. Scudds pleaded not guilty. His wife said in evidence that he had told "her he had murdered their son." In the Central Criminal Court on June 2, 1952, a jury found Scudds not guilty of murder. Mrs. Scudds had told the Court that she and Scudds had had violent arguments about the paternity of the child. She said Scudds took the child away from their home at Botany on November 21, 1947, and that he returned three-quarters of an hour later and said he had left the child with friends. Scudds told the jury that the child was safe with friends. He denied that he had confessed to his wife that he had murdered the child. Scudds's application was listed for hearing by Mr. Justice Myers at 10 a.m. yesterday, but was stood over until this morning because his Honor was half-way through a jury case. Mr. A. J. Goran (for Scudds) said the matter had been listed because of a misunderstanding. Mr. A. J. Goran (by P. N. Roach), for Scudds; Mr. J. B. Kearney (by the Public Solicitor), for Mrs. Scudds.] [The Mail (Adelaide, SA :1912-1954) Saturday 6 June 1953 p5 Article. Sat: Two important clues in the missing Scudds child mystery have been uncovered.? During the trial of Richard Basil Scudds on a charge of having murdered his son, Richard James Scudds, 6, the latter ex changed signals with a man and woman in the gallery. For some months after the disappearance of the child, Scudds sent 30/- or £2 each week to an unknown address. The whereabouts of the child has mystified the authorities for 15 months. The lather has steadfastly refused to disclose the whereabouts of the child, even when on the murder charge. This week Mr. Acting Justice Myers committed Scudds to gaol indefinitely for contempt of court in tailing to comply with a court order to deliver his son to Mrs. Scudds. Scudds mother has changed her name and moved to another suburb, where she is unknown, to escape publicity. She said today: 'Dick refuses to confide in me but what makes me hope the baby is in Sydney is a curious thing that occurred during the murder trial. 'During the two days of the trial. Dick never once looked at me nor at Florrie his wife. He looked up at the gallery, and several times shook his head at two people sitting there.' Redfern friends Scudds mother said she had not seen the two people before, but would be able to identify them. 'They stayed in court the whole time, and as soon as Dick was acquitted they hurried out.' she said. 'I was so certain they knew something about the baby that I hurried to try to talk to them, but they got straight into a car and were off before I could get near.' Mrs. Scudds said that before the baby disappeared, her son had often spoken to her of friends he had at Redfern. He had also said these friends had recently lost their own baby. 'Dick always swore to me he had given the baby to these people' she said. 'He used to say. Don't you worry your head about it, Mum, the kid's all right.' 'For friends' Mrs. Scudds said she had often seen her son in possession of postal notes, and he told her he was sending them off to friends. When Her son was sent to gaol for nonpayment of maintenance, she had offered to pay the amount, which was nearly £100. but her son refused. 'I would give everything I have to know where that child is,' Mrs. Scudds said. To date, Mrs. Scudds has borne all her son's legal expenses, but has no more money for legal help.] [Thursday 2 September 1954 Darlinghurst. Mr Justice Myers - No 7 Court, Queen’s Square -10 R Scudds and IC and S Act. (Only the husband mentioned here.)] [The Canberra Times (ACT), Saturday 4 September 1954 p5 Article & Advocate (Burnie, Tas. :1890-1954). Refuses Release in Contempt Case Sydney, Friday. An application by Richard Basil Scudds, 28, to purge his contempt was dismissed by Mr. Justice Myers in the Equity Court today. Scudds, was sent to gaol in June last year for contempt of court in failing to deliver his son, Richard James Scudds, to his wife, as ordered by the court. Scudds counsel, Mr. A. J. Goran, said afterwards that he would appeal to the Full Supreme Court against Mr. Justice Myers decision; Mr. Justice Myers to-day described Scudds as an "utterly contemptible person.", he added: "I disbelieve every word he says.". His Honour said that Scudds claimed that he could not produce the child and still maintained that it had been placed with some persons or persons. Mr. Justice Myers said that there was no question that Scudds look the child from the mother and she had never seen it since. The Judge said in the evidence to-day that Scudds had said that he was unable lo produce the child while he was on trial for murder, even if he had wanted to. "Nothing he has said to-day has shaken my opinion that he is in a position to comply with my order," Mr. Justice Myers said. The Judge said that a jury had acquitted Scudds of the murder of the child. "Until he cares to give some of truth to his story by saying what happened to the child or to whom it was given, and the address of people to whom he gave the child so that his story can be verified, I should say he has very little hope of satisfying me," His Honour added.] [R S 65yr., interment:1991 Feb 11 Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, Matraville, Randwick City - Plot: Rose Gardens, Garden O5, Position 89.]