MERCER SHOOTING CASE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20919, 28 July 1933, Page 5

MERCER SHOOTING CASE.

'nil-: JURY'S FINDING. ([■iif-.n.s i>m«i,uiiiN iy.lA-.',".\:--i AUCKLAND, .ruly 27. Charged with attempting 1o murder James Pennington Bates at Mercer on April 14. ChristopheY Nivcn, 19, an electrician, was tried in the Supreme Court. Thene were alternative counts o f discharging « revolver with intent to disable, assault so as to cause actual bodily harm, causing bodily harm in such circumstances that had death resulted, jiccused would have been guilty of manslaughter, and common assault. The assistant-Crown prosecutor, M'.; Hubble, said that it was alleged that accused obtained petrol for his motorcar at Bates' service station, but did not make payment. Upon being remonstrated with accused was alleged to have drawn a revolver and fired two shots, one of which seriously wounded Bates, who was subsequently for some time a patient in the Auckland hospital. Although a satisfactory recovery had been made by the injured man, it had not been found possible to remove the bullet which lodged in the pelvis. The jury found accused guilty of discharging a revolver with intent to disable, but not guilty of attempted murder, and the other alternative charges. Sentence was deferred.