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Story: Cold War

Sutch's 'spy' trial

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Sutch's 'spy' trial

Bill Sutch (left), his wife, Shirley Smith, and his lawyer, Mike Bungay, arrive at a Wellington court to defend Sutch against a charge of obtaining information that would be helpful to an enemy – in this instance the Soviet Union. After a sensational trial Sutch was acquitted of the charge in February 1975. He died a few months later, in September.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: EP-1974-6745a-8a-f

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Gerald Hensley, Cold War – The Cold War at home, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/32720/sutchs-spy-trial (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Gerald Hensley, published 16 April 2012.