SHOTS HEED IN SETTLEMENT

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23918, 9 April 1943, Page 3

SHOTS HEED IN SETTLEMENT

ATTEMPTED MURDER ALLEGED CHARGE AGAINST* ONE MAN DISMISSED (P.A.) WHANGAREI, April 8. Koni Thompson, aged 43, a farmer, and Ngaro Moses Davis, a soldier, Appeared before Mr Raymond Femer, S.M., to-day, charged with attempting to murder each other. Thompson was also charged with the attempted murder of his wife, Mary Thompson. All the incidents were alleged to have oc-. curred at the coastal settlement of Punuruku, 30 miles north of Whangarei. Both men had been admitted to hospital. The evidence of Sydney Thompson, son of Koni Thompson, was that Davis; who was wounded in Egypt and returned to the settlement on March 13, had a long argument with Thompson, trying to prevent him enlisting. The following morning his father wanted to leave the house but Davis held him back. Later his father, who was in a bad mood, got a rifle and went to the rear of the house and told Davis, who wanted to talk to him, not to come nearer. Davis returned to the house. Witness heard a rifle shot, a bullet going through the wall while Davis stood at the window. Witness' then gave cartridges to Davis and he heard alternate rifle and gun shots. Shortly afterwards he saw his father two chains away bleeding at the neck. His father fired twice before Davis opened fire.

Thompson, in evidence, said that on his return from a Home Guard parade he found his step-nephew, who had served in Greece, Crete, and Egypt, in the house. He found that his wife had gone to Russell, where he found her under the name of Davis. Oh her return both she and Davis denied any improper association. In the morning he asked Davis to leave, but Davis threw him into the bedroom, where he picked up 10 rounds of Home Guard ammunition and decided to give Davis a fright. He fired at him vjithout aiming. He heard him groaning' but knew he was only pretending and warned him he would be shot if he were not careful. Davis dropped- out of sight and Thompson fired at where he. had been standing, not intending to hit him. Then he saw Davis with a shotgun. He had walked about a chain when he heard a report and realised that he had been hit, as he was losing a great deal of blood. Both men dropped their weapons and apologised to one another. Both, were crying. * Police witnesses said that Davis in a statement had said he had fired to frighten Thompson,. who,, he believed, Intended to shoot his son and-wife. It was to protect them. The case against Davis was" dismissed. That against Thompson is proceeding. '