I wasn't the bloke in the pink skirt
Amanda Cresswell
Published: 6:14 PM March 15, 2002
IN 1986 he beat security in a Royal residence. And now a self-confessed former getaway driver has been cleared of disorderly conduct after it was alleged he emerged from bushes wearing women's clothing.
By Amanda Cresswell
IN 1986 he beat security in a Royal residence.
And now a self-confessed former getaway driver has been cleared of disorderly conduct after it was alleged he emerged from bushes wearing women's clothing.
Arthritic Jeffery Wolfe-Emery denied wearing a pink knee-length skirt, beige top and blonde bob-style wig and emerging from undergrowth in front of a dog walker in Valley Road, Ipswich.
Wolfe-Emery said he had been in the area delivering Quaker newsletters.
The news sheet, compiled by him, criticises the Christian church and translations in the Bible.
After the case the 67-year-old Cockney told The Evening Star he previously had gangland connections, doing odd jobs for a rival gang of the Krays and driving a getaway car for a team of robbers from Norfolk.
Being cleared of disorderly conduct was, he said "the main thing".
He said: "I think someone was seen in the park dressed like that and I happened to be in the vicinity at the same time and it very conveniently fitted in.
"They wouldn't have plain clothes police officers around at 7am unless there was a purpose or reason to be there."
Magistrates at the Elm Street court in Ipswich formerly changed the date of the charge from September 26 to 25 of September last year.
After the case Wolfe-Emery told The Star he would be contacting the Police Complaints Authority about it, saying: "The police must have known the date (of the charge) was wrong. It was a miscarriage of justice on the dates alone."
Wolfe-Emery, of Pelican Close, hit headlines in the Star back in 1986 after claiming he spent a day inside Sandringham House in Norfolk without challenge.
Although cleared of disorderly behaviour, Wolfe-Emery was found guilty of careless driving and failure to stop when required by a police officer.
Wolfe-Emery took to the stand at the Elm Street court saying he was distributing leaflets down Valley Road when he found a plastic bag in the bushes.
He took the bag back to his car out of "curiosity." When he examined the contents he found a dark mini-skirt, wig, wallet containing £25 and gold watch.
The skirt and wig he stuffed under his seat and the wallet and watch he put into the glove compartment of his car.
After the court case he later told the Star he regretted coming across the bag, saying: "I shouldn't have even looked in the bag. I should have thrown it back."
He told magistrates the issue of being in the bushes dressing and undressing was "ridiculous" saying he was severely arthritic and had a varicose ulcer on his leg.
Earlier Pc Ian Rowland – wearing plain clothes on duty – spoke of seeing a heavily-built female with a distinctive walk who emerged from bushes some distance from a female dog-walker.
"The female dog-walker carried on walking but was then looking back over her shoulder," said Pc Rowland.
"She looked over her shoulder a couple of times. I could tell she was surprised at what she had seen."
He told magistrates a short time afterwards he spotted a man dressed in male attire come out of the bushes and get into a car before driving off down Valley Road towards Norwich Road.
Pc Rowland radioed for a marked police car. Pc Richard Wright and Pc Stewart McIlroy arrived on scene, but the court heard Wolfe-Emery failed to stop when required.
Wolfe-Emery told the court when he first saw the police car he thought it was on an emergency call.
He had recently had a hernia operation and was unable to stop suddenly in his car.
"If I was to suddenly brake the stitches would break and I would have lost consciousness because of the pain," he said. "Frankly, I was confused."
Chairman of the bench, Anne Parry, ordered Wolfe-Emery to pay £120 and have nine penalty points on his licence for careless driving. He was fined £30 for failing to stop. On top of the fines Wolfe-Emery was ordered to pay £263 costs.
Referring to the charge of disorderly conduct she said there was no facial recognition of Wolfe-Emery dressed in women's clothing and that the items in the bag didn't match those seen worn.
Outside the court Wolfe-Emery said: "Before 1990 I had a long criminal record. But I gave up the life to become a Quaker."