I was shocked when I heard this, as I thought they would always be very
honest and upright citizens.

I was able to check this with a person I know and he was cross with me for
asking him and said that I was an idiot. When I pushed him, he said that
it was all a big joke made up by troublemakers and they were always very
honest in all their dealings with everyone. When I said that I had read
about this,
he tried to change the subject and then told me that I did not know how
the courts and law really worked. Then he had to go quickly and left in
his car.
I had stood him for two beers but he already had a beer and a chaser when
I arrived.

I bumped into him on Monday morning and joked about being above the law
and joked that when the police get him for DD, he and his friends would
get him off by telling lies. He went ballistic and he told me to mind my
own business otherwise I might find things "going wrong". I am not worried
by his threats and everyone in the pub dislikes him and one of the
barmaids won't even serve him because he tried to take advantage when he
gave her a lift home. She is 22, he is fat and bald in his 50's and
married. The landlord said that it was easier to let him in instead of
banning him but I think he was scared.

I checked up and found that freemasons do protect each other in court and
it is in their manual.

"You must conceal all crimes of your brother Masons... and should you be
summoned as a witness against a brother Mason be always sure to shield
him...It may be perjury to do this, it is true, but you're keeping your
obligations."

Ronayne. Handbook of Masonry, page 183

He came into the pub yesterday and a big arguement started over his
groping of Helga and I wound him up about being a mason ****. Then he went
ballistic again and threw his drink at Helga and me. We piled into him and
threw him out into the carpark. He said that he would get the police to
arrest us but I chipped in that us drinkers would adopt a similar
strategy, even if it did involve perjury, to protect ourselves. He seemed
to accept that and skulked away, getting his hands covered in dog shit
that tommo had smeared on his car door handle lol. Mark has now banned him
from the pub and Helga is staying!