PC. Donald Richard Stokes

On 14 August 1966, while trying to prevent the escape of two prisoners, Constable Stokes was assaulted and beaten to death with a broom handle at the Dunedin Police cells. James Thomas Wilson, aged 23, admitted to the murder and Colin Paul Morrison, aged 19, was found guilty of murder. They were both sentenced to life imprisonment. Source: https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/history-and-museum/memorial/off...

Donald Stokes graduated from the Police Training School at Trentham in 1964. Those who knew him described Don as bright and happy and really keen to be a successful Police officer. In fact he received many favourable comments from both his trainers and his colleagues once he was out on the job. He was said to be a mature, reliable and genuinely pleasant young man. His memorial in the New Zealand Police Journal stated quite bluntly – “We can ill afford to lose him.” And so just two years in to his chosen career he was working in the watchhouse at Dunedin Police Station when he was set upon and beaten to death by two prisoners. They were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. His family were left to mourn. Source: https://www.facebook.com/NewZealandPoliceMuseum/posts/today-we-mour...