STABBING CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 226, 24 September 1934, Page 8

STABBING CHARGE.

BLIND MAN'S STORY.

"WOKE UP IN HOSPITAL" ACCUSED'S DENIAL. As a sequel to an affray in a house at No. 12, Yelverton Terrace, city, on the night of September 7, a Norwegian named Ole Kristin Omholt, aged 52, appeared in the Police Court this morning, charged that with intent to do grievous bodily lSarin to Thomas Francis Coyne he did actual bodily harm. Mr. W. R. MeKean, S.M., was on the Bench, and Senior Detective Hall prosecuted. Mr. W. Noble represented the accused. -Thomas Francis Coyne said he was practically blind. He lived at 12, Yelverton Terrace with his wife. He first [ met the accused on September 3, when a friend brought Omholt to his house. : Witness agreed to Omholt staying at the house for three weeks. Omholt occupied a room upstairs. Witness and his • wife were the only other occupants of the house. Omholt went out every day and usually returned at night "merry." On September 7 Omholt left the house about 8 a.m. At noon the same day witness met Omholt in the bar of a nearby hotel, where he said he was waiting for some money to arrive. A few minutes later it arrived, and they all had some drinks, and some liquor was taken home. Witness' mother, his wife and his father-in-law were at his house when he returned. They all had some drinks, witness having two. He went to bed about 6 p.m., the others still being in the kitchen. He thought accused said lie was going out again. Later witness said he woke up and thought he heard someone muttering in the kitchen. He thought it was accused, as no one else was in the house.

" Argument With Himself." "I left my bed and went into tlie kitchen," continued Coyne. "I said, 'Chris, why don't you go to bed?' The muttering gave me the impression thac the person was having an argument with himself. After making the remark, 'Chris, why don't you go to bed?' I got stabbed in the back. I said, ' Di.-k. Dick, Chris has stabbed me.' I then collapsed, but before collapsing I thought I heard a rush at the door and the door opening. I remembered nothing until I woke up in the hospital."

Witness said accused was exceptionally kind to him during the four days that he stayed in the house. In answer to a question by Mr. Noble, Coyne said no voice answered him when' lie called out, "Chris, why don't'you ,r o to bed?" ° Richard Wickham, a next-door'neigh-bour of Coyne's, said he was reading a book at 7.20 p.m. on September 7, when lie heard someone cry out. As witness was undoing the bolt of his own front door he heard the click of Coyne's back jdoor. On finding Coyne he immediately called the police. Constable's Observations. Constable B. J. McEwan said he went to Yclverton Terrace and entered Coyne's house, finding Coyne on the floor in the doorway between the kitchen and the bedroom. There was blood on Coyne's clothing. He summoned an ambulance and took Coyne to the hospital. Mr. McKean: What wa.? Mrs. Coyne doing?— She was sitting on the side of the bed.

The constable said those in the house had had some liquor, but were not drunk. Mrs. Coyne was not using any bandages or anything to stop the bleeding. Detective Mills said he went to Coyne's house in Yelverton Terrace and searched the locality, but found nothing which could have caused the injuries to Coyne. On September 8 he interviewed Omholt, who, in a statement said he worked on a station at Piopio.' He was a labourer and a single man, and came to Auckland for a holiday. A friend took him to Coyne's place, and he was nearly drunk when he arrived there. He stayed at Coyne's house until September 7. He telegraphed to his employer for £1, and got it. While he was in the hotel Wickham came in and had something to drink. Accused got a bottle filled with beer and went home to Coyne's place. The liquor was consumed, and some more was obtained from the hotel. Omholt said he did not remember finishing the beer at Coyne's house, as he was drunk. After that he did not remember what happened. He did not remember what time he left the house or where he went, but found himself in a park when he got a bit sober. He first heard that Coyne had been stabbed the following afternoon. He did not return to the house as he thought he might be implicated. He did have a pocket knife, but must have lost it when wandering around during the night. "I Do Not Remember." "I do not remember stabbing Tom Coyne with anything at all," added accused in his statement. "If I did stab him I cannot remember it." This concluded the evidence. Mr. Noble submitted that there was no evidence to implicate accused. There was no motive, accused and Coyne being on the best of friendliest terms. There was no. suggestion that anyone saw Omholt stab Coyne. Mr. McKean: The evidence shows that the voice that spoke was that of accused. Accused Teft the house just afterwards, and he also has said that he lost his knife.

1 Mr. Noble: There is no direct evidence. At the very most it may be suspicion. There was no suggestion of attempted robbery or even an argument. Remarking that the evidence was purely circumstantial, the magistrate said the case would have to go for trial. Omholt pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail, £150,1 wan allowed. I