GIRL SHOT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20225, 1 May 1931, Page 17

GIRL SHOT.

CHARGE OP ATTEMPTED MURPER. HEARING ADJOURNED. (PHESS iS SOCIA.TIOJI TEUHO3AH.) . HASTINGS, April 30. At the Magistrate's Court to-day Hubert Frederick Nunn, for whom Mr with "J? ? appeare<J > was barged Mth r? f to murder Steele thA ' ? Sp or Cumm ings conducted M aSQ o 0r the P o^. with a heavifv appeared in Court S:f g rdV a . c the nta w y * ot ™' = heTad'lost'h wi \^ ad ' B°™away^or TJtXT wS frienn!' k- decided later to remain thev shouS Ul V mat9ly she told accuse<i t4ey should not see each other. She did not see accused for a W time. At nes" keeDi^ eeting h ® referred to witman »^ P g /« mpany with another von" Ho r . obod y else will get ' He repeated the remark several times, and added that he would do away With himself. Witness said she could n«VoTl >er + th ° occasi °i a when Nunn asked her to marry him. She got in his car and noticed he had a gun in it. Witon S3 tw U th - 6 ° ffer of made on that occasion. He said he would do away with himself that night, but later he became quieter. She seldom saw accused after that. Shot Fired. • After a wedding on Easter Monday she returned home and later left for a party. She saw Nunn's car in a neighbouring road. Later it passed the car she was in. About 1 o'clock the next morning witness returned home with a carload of friends. As the car drove away witness heard Nunn's voice as she approached the house. It was moonlight and she noticed that Nunn had a gun concealed behind him. Accused asked witness to marry him. She said "No." Nunn said, "I'll shoot you then." She was unable to remember her reply. Nunn asked her to come into the car for a talk. She repled, "It is no good talking over it." Witness moved away and dodged behind a tree. Accused chased her round it with the gun in his hand and raised it. Witness called to her father and ran towards the house. She heard a loud click and a report and did not remember what happened till she found herself lying on the lawn. To Mr Hallett witness said she knew accused was exceedingly fond of her. He was always kind and considerate. She never suspected ue would wilfully harm her. Reginald Eves said he and others called for Miss Smith to go to a party on the night of the alleged offence. He saw Nunn's car in a neighbouring road. Objection to Suit. Alfred Thomas Smith, father of the girl, said he was not at first aware of the ■ acquaintance between his daughter and Nunn, but later Nunn asked witness for leave to pay attention to his daughter. He said he intended getting a divorce, but witness and his wife objected. Nunn appeared terribly upset. Witness knew that Nunn later brought his daughter home several times. Witness had warned Nunn on several occasions and ■ forbidden .him to ■ipgejik' to Jfqnn jraidy "I can't nSHogecF offence he&eaid his daughter scteawiiig,! "Pad" "Dad," He ran out, followed by his son-in-law, and heard ia shot fired from the front of the house. He found her lying bleeding on the grass, but saw nobody in the grounds. Montague Harry Tisdall, gun, expert, of Auckland, described the weapon produced as a twelve bore hammer gun which he examined on April- flth.« The right barrel had recently keen discharged and the inside of the left barrel was coated with dust. From .experiments made he asserted the shot was fired directly at Miss -Smith from a range of thirteen yards, and at 27 yards the spread of shot was almost identical with that on the bouse. -Two witnesses gave evidence as to having seen accused walking up and down in the vicinity of Miss Smith's" home on Easter Monday evening, while his car was close at hand. Medical Evidence. Dr. H. M. Wilson described Miss Smith's wounds on the neck and back; The victim was now progressing satisfactorily, but was complaining of double vision, which was being investigated. Witness saw accused soon after his ar-. rest, and he appeared to be somewhat dazed. He stood up to walk, but could ! not or would not use his limbs. Accused spoke rationally. Bessie Edith Campbell, accused's housekeeper, said she and her child went with accused to Otane on Easter 'Sunday. They got out of the car and walked to the river, accused taking the gun. Witness and her child walked back to the car and Nunn went away shooting. She heard one shot fired. Accused soon returned but he did not get anything: as a result of the shot. .Muriel Constance Bowen, of Havelock North, said accused called at her house on Easter Monday • night about 10.15, and left about midnight. Metha Young, a neighbour of accused, said she "heard Nunn's car come in about half past one in the morning of the Tuesday after Faster. Frederick Bound deposed to seeing Nunn's car unattended in Pakowhai road at 12.15 a.m. and 12.30 a.m. on the Tuesday -after Easter. William B. J. Kissock, telegraph messenger, identified by his initials on it a cartridge . case which he picked up near Nunn's house and handed to the police. / . The hearing was adjourned till Saturday morning. Bail was refused.