HE early days of the Police investigation into the September 9, 1972 murder of Commissioner George Duckett at his "Bleak House", Devonshire home saw officers being distracted from the urgent task at hand by a number of cranks who descended on Prospect, encouraging the murder squad to pursue the evidence trail into what turned out to be blind alleys.

The unprecedented nature of the Bermuda Police Commissioner's assassination along with the victim's standing in the community attracted an unusually high number of mentally troubled false witnesses to Prospect, lonely fantasists who wasted police time and resources with fictitious accounts of the murder - accounts that nevertheless had to be followed-up before being eliminated.

The most detailed ? but entirely fabricated ? false lead came from a skilled labourer, Mr. X of Southampton, who provided Police with a vivid eyewitness description of the Commissioner's murder, a murder it transpired he only witnessed in his imagination.

"On 10th October, 1972 a man known as Mr. X called at St. George's Police Station and requested to speak to two friends who were in custody there, but his request was ignored," said Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent William Wright in a February, 1973 memorandum on the bogus information generated by the Duckett murder that he prepared for newly installed Bermuda Police Commissioner L.M. (Nobby) Clark.

"He then intimated he could help Police identify the person who had shot the Commissioner of Police. Detective Inspector Swan was notified but before he could reach the Police Station, Mr. X had departed.

"Shortly afterwards a car was stolen from outside a bar in St. George's which when later recovered at North Shore, Shelly Bay was found to bear Mr. X's fingerprints. On the 17th October, 1972 he was arrested and taken to Central Police Station, when he was interviewed by Detective Inspector (Dudley) Swan and Detective Constable (Patrick) Hamlett.

"He told the officers he had seen what happened at Bleak House and the person responsible was a 'white cat'. It was then decided to take him to Police Headquarters for a further interview and en route the officers took him to 'Bleak House', where he indicated where he had been hiding when he heard shooting and alleged he had afterwards seen a white man run towards a parked vehicle containing three other people.

"When asked if he recognised any of them, he replied that he usually saw one of them on Court Street.

"He was then brought to Police Headquarters where he was later interviewed by Detective Superintendent (George) Hammond and (Scotland Yard) Detective Inspector (Basil) Haddrell."

Mr. X told a fascinating and superficially persuasive tale.

"On the Saturday night that the Commissioner was murdered, I was walking along North Shore Road looking for a car (to steal)," he said. "I went into the ZFB studio yard (across the road from "Bleak House") to see if there were any cars.

"There were a couple but they were locked. When I came out of the yard, I noticed a light in a house across the road up the hill. I thought it looked nice and quiet.

"I figured it would be a nice place for me to get a car from, so I decided to jump over the wall, across from ZFB, and walked up to the house.

"As I got more or less by the side of the house . . . I spotted a car, with two doors open and two people in it. I thought to myself they were getting out of it. I thought they were living there. I decided to go through the gully and go around it. I thought I would work my way around the bushes to the side of the car and when they got out I figured I would jump into the car and drive off with it.

"No sooner was I in the bush near the side of the car (when) I heard what to me sounded like a shot ? which I thought was fired at me. So I ducked down well into the ground and then, while I was down, the firing was continuing. I imagine there were five or so shots, I'm not too sure.

"... Seconds after the shots, I heard the car start and I heard a door go slam. That's when I raised up to look and all I could see was one man, running and getting into the car. The car drove off and I moved off as well. As I was moving, just before I got to the wire fence, I noticed the rear lights on the car come on (I mean the brake lights). Seconds after the lights came on, another car came from nowhere behind it.

"The first car appeared to have turned off and the other car went straight on towards the Prospect area . . . Then I went to my mate's house where I was staying at the time. When I got in the yard of my mate's house, I paused to catch myself and then went to bed. The house that I stayed in that night is on the North Shore Road, across from Zeeky Edness' yard."

The officers proceeded to interrogate Mr. X on what he had allegedly seen and pressed him as to whether he could identify any of the men. Mr. X said he knew the man he claimed to have seen running from "Bleak House" and also recognised one of the people in the car he had seen parked on the property.

Question: Who was the man in the car?

Answer: I don't know his name, but sure seen him around the Court Street area quite a bit.

Q: Can you describe him?

A: He had plaits on his head, a heavy beard, a big face. He is chocolate brown. He usually wears a dashikilong.

Q: You know the man. Could you identify him again?

A: Yes, sir.

Q: Will you describe the man you saw getting into the car.

A: Very tall and lean, white man with gingerish brown hair which is bushy.

Q: Do you know his name?

A: No, sir.

Q: Do you know where he lives or works?

A: I don't know where he lives, but he works for the East End Asphalt Company.

Q: Is this man a Bermudian?

A: No. Guys who work on the job with me say he is from Ireland but I thought he was English.

Q: How many men were there in this car that night?

A: I saw two men in the car when I got there, and I saw another man jump in, and as it drove off I assumed that there was a fourth man that I had not seen.

Q: Who was driving the car?

A: The man with plaits in his hair.

Q: It was light enough to see these people?

A: Yes, it was light enough.

Q: If necessary are you prepared to give evidence on oath in court?

A: Yes, sir.

Q: Did you notice the colour of the man sitting in the back of the car?

A: He had to be a coloured man because if he was a white man I would have picked him out more easily.

After the interview session was concluded Mr. X signed an eight-page transcript of his statement, acknowledging, "I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated anything in it which I know to be false or do not believe to be true."

Chief Superintendent Wright said the evidence provided by the man was of sufficient interest for him to interview Mr. X the following day.

"He more or less reiterated what he had previously said, except on this occasion he even gave the car as 'mustard-like in colour'," said Wright in his memorandum to Commissioner Clark. "He was later released from Police custody on the undertaking that he would supply the names of the men he had seen at 'Bleak House'."

A few days later he returned to Police Headquarters and did just that.

"One of the (men) transpired to be Mr. Y, who runs a general store on Court Street, whilst the white man was identified as Mr. Z of Seedown Apartments, Zuill Park, Devonshire. It was later learned that this man worked alongside Mr. X asphalting the roads of the new Southampton Princess Hotel.

"Both men were interviewed and it was soon apparent that neither were in any way involved and both gave a satisfactory account of their movements on the 9th September, 1972. Whilst it is not entirely beyond the bounds of possibility that Mr. Y could have been involved, the same certainly did not apply to Mr. Z.

"He is a hard-working man who came to Bermuda some four years ago for the purpose of saving money so as he could return to Ireland to get married. He has never hitherto come to the notice of Police in the United Kingdom or Bermuda and enquiries show that he leads a very quiet and hard-working life."

When interviewed by officers, both Mr. Y and Mr. Z were disconcerted to discover they had been cast in the roles of joint prime suspects in the Police Commissioner's murder by Mr. X.

"When asked to give his movements for the evening of 9th September, 1972 Mr. Y said although he could be 100 per cent sure he was almost certain that he was at his shop (on) Court Street, Hamilton until it closed about 10 p.m.," said Detective Inspector Clive Donald following a meeting with him.

"He said that is his normal habit for most Saturdays. He is not sure where he went after that. He stated that he probably went home as he was suffering from a skin complaint which caused him embarrassment.

"He stated that he does not normally associate with white people and can't recall the last time he had a white person in his car. He does not know a tall white man with long blonde hair.

" ... He said he knew nothing that could assist the Police in their enquiries with the Commissioner of Police's murder. He said that he would assist if he could. He drives a silver grey station wagon."

Asphalt raker Mr. Z met with murder squad investigators at Police Headquarters on October 29, 1972.

"I don't have any particular friends in Bermuda except my work mates but I have never been out socially with them except I go fishing occasionally with a black Bermudian called Kelly who comes from St. George's," Mr. Z told Detective Inspector Donald.

"Kelly is about 27 years old and works as a labourer for the East End Asphalt Company. I don't go out much because I'm saving up to get married.

"I have never been in Court Street except riding through it once and going to the dentist, Dr. Bridgewater who I think has his office there. I don't know anyone who works or hangs around on Court Street to my knowledge.

"I honestly can't say where I was driving the evening of the 9th September, 1972. I think I was home, but I can't be sure. I think I first heard of the Commissioner's death the following Monday morning (11/9/72) ? someone had a newspaper at work.

"I don't know where 'Bleak House' is and I have never met the Commissioner of Police."

Increasingly frustrated with him and increasingly suspicious of his unverifiable story, Police took Mr. X back to "Bleak House" when the light and weather conditions were similar to the way they had been on the night of September 9, 1972.

"A demonstration was enacted," said Wright, "and it was soon obvious Mr. X could not have seen what he described and that it was all a figment of his imagination."

On December 5, 1972 Mr. X provided a second statement to Detective Inspector Swan in which he recanted his original testimony, admitting he had never even been to "Bleak House" until taken there by Police.

"The statement that I previously made to the Police about my movements on the 9th.9.72 is not the truth," said Mr. X. "I was nowhere near 'Bleak House'. On that night I went to Warwick Club with (two friends). I can't remember how we went there but during the time we were at the club, I bought a beer for the three of us because the other two men did not have any money.

"I have no idea what time it was when we arrived at the club . . . The three of us were trying to find out about a party which I thought was going on in Warwick. We were unable to find out about the party that night but some time the following day I found out from my brother that the party had taken place at Spanish Point at a fellow's home.

"During the time of the Commissioner of Police's murder, I was staying at a house on the North Shore Road with (a friend). The first I heard about the murder was the next morning on the radio . . . I do not own a gun. I did not know the Commissioner of Police and I have never been up to his house.

"Before the Commissioner's death I never (even) knew where his house was but since the murder I have found out where it is."

Chief Superintendent Wright told Commissioner Clark that police discussed prosecuting Mr. X for hampering their investigation into Commissioner Duckett's murder.

"Consideration was given to prosecuting him for causing a public mischief but as it may deter others from coming forward with possible information, it was decided not to do so," he said.