MURDER CHARGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 246, 25 July 1940, Page 3

MURDER CHARGE

THE WAIKINO TRAGEDY. FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR CROWN (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, July 24. The trial of Douglas Herbert Cartman, a mine trucker, aged 22, who is charged with the murder of Mrs Elizabeth Agnes Hamilton, at Waikino, was continued in the Supreme Court before Mr Justice Fair, to-day. Detective Hayes, of Hamilton, gave evidence that he and Sergeant "W alsh observed that blood had soaked about three inches into the ground at the place where Mrs Hamilton’s body was found. Cross-examined, he admitted that lie had not mentioned this at the preliminary hearing, not deeming it of sufficient importance to mention when not asked the question. During the morning, the Court adjourned to inspect the motor-car. At this stage, the women’s gallery,, which had been closed for several sessions, was opened and occupied by a dozen women who had been listening at the back of the Court. Rov Albert Fitzgerald, a bushman, of Kati .Kati, identified the ear used by Cartman as one witness traded in last December. He identified certain tools used in the car, including a. tyre lever found beside • Mrs Hamilton’s body, as haying been in the car when ho traded it in. Gordon Duff identified a cleat found on the roadway where marks indicated an accident as a cleat l which he had put on the front bumper of a ear traded in by Fitzgerald and later sold to the accused. Tv. M. Griffin, Government Analyst, gave evidence that the pieces of glass found on the road near the cleat corresponded in characteristics with a fragment found at tlfe back of the broken headlamp on Cartman's car. Pathologist’s Evidence. Dr. Walter Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, said the tyre lever found beside Mrs Hamilton was stained with human blood for a distance of eight inches. Dr. Gilmour said lie found hair resembling that of Mrs Hamilton on the tyre lever. The hair recovered from parts of the accused’s car resembled either that of Mrs Hamilton, or of Lloyd Moran. On other exhibits from the car he found, as well as liuipan hair, a greasy substance containing human blood and animal fat, which might be human. A number of human bloodstains were found on the inner fittings of the ear. On a stick found near the body of Moran there were, bloodstains, and hair resembling that of Moran. In his opinion, Moran’s death was due to a fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain.

On the body of Mrs Hamilton there were numerous wounds and injuries. Some of the injuries would be caused by a crushing force, such as being run over by a ear. Tho bead injuries were sUeli as could have been produced bv a tyre lever. He did not think a ear could have produced them, or that the injuries caused by the ear would have produced unconsciousness. Witness said that if Mrs Hamilton had been given immediate care after being struck by the car there was a remote chance of her recovery. The head injuries would he fatal within minutes, and the cause of death was injuries to the brain. He gave medical reasons for his belief that the head wounds were inflicted during lifq. There was clear indication that the bodv had been violated.

Answering Mr Henry (for the accused), Dr. Gilmour said that not any of the convictions lie had expressed was subject to reasonable doubt. The injuries from the car would be very unlikely to cause loss of consciousness. They might have caused fainting from pain. Tt was a reasonable possibility that all the injuries suffered in the collision with the car could cause death within a short time.

The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.