Power Engineer To Stand Trial For Manslaughter

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27641, 23 April 1955, Page 10

Power Engineer To Stand Trial For Manslaughter

(New Zealand Press Association)

WAIPUKURAU, April 22. i The engineer of the Central Hance’s Bay Power Board (Eric Peter Du Fresne), aged 47, was today committed to the Supreme Court at Napier for trial on a charge of manslaughter. Du Fresne was charged in the Waipukurau Magistrate’s Court, before Justices of the Peace, with the manslaughter of James Henry Hastings and Graham Wilson at Hatuma on March 6. A charge of being responsible for Hugh Wilson’s death was withdrawn. Hastings and Graham Wilson were killed instantly when the power line on which they were working at Hatuma became alive. Hugh Wilson, Graham Wilson’s father, who was working nearby, ran over to the pole on which the dead men were and tried to pull his son down. When he touched his son, Wilson was thrown to the ground and suffered a fracture of the spine and other injuries. He died three hours later.

At the end of the Court sitting, which lasted for a day and a half, Du Fresne pleaded not guilty to the charge. Bail was granted Du Fresne at £2OOO in his own recognisance, with two sureties of £lOO.

Tlie Supreme Court hearing will start on May 30. The Crown case was conducted by Mr A. O. Woodhouse, of Napier, and Mr H. W. Dowling, of Napier, appeared for Du Fresne. Inspector’s Evidence

In evidence today, Norman William Taylor, ah inspector employed by the Central Hawke’s Bay Power Board, said that at 1.15 p.m. on March 6 he went to the Onga Onga sub-station with the chief inspector, James Garriock. They did some work on the Waipawa feeder. At 3.30 p.m. they went back to the sub-station, and a few minutes before 4 p.m. they went in.

About 4.5 p.m. the telephone rang for Garriock, said the witness. He in turn called the manager of the substation, John Robert Hill, to the telephone. After the conversation, Hill went over to the switchboard and turned on the Onga Onga, Waipawa and Burnside feeders. The Waipukurau feeder was left alone, Taylor said. Taylor said he then went back to Waipukurau and was told of the tragedy when he reached there. The chief inspector of the board, James Troup Garriock, said he drew up the work sheet setting out the work to be done on March 6. He showed this to Du Fresne.

Garriock said he was detailed to supervise work being done on the Waipawa feeder on March B. He was to give the clearance to the sub-sta-tion at Onga Onga, and he did this. When he returned to the sub-station,

I Du Fresne rang him and said work on the Waipukurau feeder would be held up for five minutes, said the witness. Garriock said that if work was to be held up, the Onga Onga, Waipawa, and Burnside feeders could be turned on. No mention was made of men working on the Burnside feeder. Garriock said he did not know anyone was working on this line. Du Fresne agreed that the power could be turned on and Du Fresne then spoke to Hill. The three switches were turned on.

Garriock said that Du Fresne had the responsibility of giving and receiving clearances from all except the Waipawa feeder. Detective Peter Wishart Harkess, of Hastings, said that on Monday, March 7, he went to Waipukurau to invesgate the tragedy. In the morning he went to the board office and found a conference being held. Du Fresne was present, and he informed the witness that he had just seen his solicitor and would not be making a statement in the meantime.

In the afternoon Detective Harkess again l went to the board’s offices and saw Du Fresne and his solicitor. He said he was making inquiries for inquest purposes. If, in the course of those inquiries, he found evidence of criminal negligence on someone’s part, he would report that fact to his superiors. Du Fresne’s solicitor, Mr B. W. Johanson, said his client would make a statement, said the witness.

Laying of Charge On March 23, Detective E irkess said, he told Du Fresne’s solicitor that his client would almost certainly be charged with manslaughter. Detective Harkess told Du Fresne that the evidence pointed to his being criminally liable. He told Du Fresne that his inquiries showed that Du Fresne had given a clearance to the sub-sta-tion without first getting a clearance from Chapman. z He also mentioned to Du Fresne that when Du Fresne inspected the work of Morris and Hastings in town, Du Fresne allegedly had said that the men were working without earth sticks, but “it did not matter.” Du Fresne did not answer any remarks that Detective Harkess made. The witness said that Du Fresne had not hindered his inquiries and, in fact, had been helpful. In answer to a question from Mr Dowling. Detective Harkess said that, as far as he knew, there was no written regulation saying that a clearance should be given before the power was turned on. Constable Robert Hanna, of Waipukurau, said that on March 6 he received a telephone message from the exchange at 4.10 p.m. to the effect that three men had been killed at Hatuma. He immediately went to the scene in a taxi.