Two Boys On Trial On Murder Charge

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 16

Two Boys On Trial On Murder Charge

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 20. Evidence that his sons had always been dutiful and good boys who, he believed, loved him as a father, was given by Dudley Robert Bridge, aged 39, a fruit farmer, of Waipipi, near Waiuku, in the Supreme Court at Auckland today.

Bridge is the father of Robert Edward Bridge, aged 16, and Trevor John Bridge, aged 12, who are jointly charged with the murder of their sisters, Carolyn Joyce Bridge, aged six, and Valerie Juliet Bridge, aged two, at their home on the night of April 11.

Mr Justice Turner is the trial judge. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr G. D. Speight) has with him Mr D. S. Morris, Mr L. P. Leary, Q.C., with him Mr R. D. G. Burt, appears for the elder accused Robert, and Mr R. K. Davidson for Trevor.

Opening the Crown case Mr Speight said that the jury would hear about the ordinary daily life of the family and how Mr Bridge was a struggling orchardist. Robert had left school at the age of 15 and had helped his father around the farm for about a year.

There were three firearms kept in the house, a .22 rifle and shotgun owned by-Bridge senior, and a .22 rifle which Robert had bought about a week before the alleged crime. Mr and Mrs Bridge were not in the habit of leaving the house together at nights, but on April 11 they had both left for Waiuku. Mr Speight said that the family were very strict church people and Mr Bridge was in the habit of going to prayer meetings at Waiuku. On that night Mrs Bridge went with him into Waiuku to attend an adult education gathering. Robert was left in charge of the household. When Mr and Mrs Bridge left, Valerie was in her cot asleep and Carolyn in bed reading. On the way home from Waiuku Mr Bridge saw an opossum scurry up a tree near his orchard. He had suffered great losses in his orchard from opossums and decided that he would get his rifles from the house. He drove straight up the drive to the house, spun the car around and left it facing the exit with the engine running. Mrs Bridge waited in the car for her husband. “Quirk of Fate'*

“You may well believe that this quirk of fate saved the Bridge's lives.” continued Mr Speight. Mr Bridge dashed into the kitchen to get his rifles. They were not there, and he walked into the room occupied by the baby, Valerie. He saw two 23. cartridges on the floor. He picked them up, noticed by the rim marks that they had not come tram his rifle and then saw that the child in the cot was dead from gunshot wounds. He rushed through into Carolyn's bedroom and saw that she was also dead.

Mr Bridge thought that some maniac was on the loose and that the two boys had probably managed to escape. He tried to get in touch With the police by telephone but because of delay banged down the receiver before he got any answers. Concerned for his wife, who was still waiting for him in the car. he ran straight out of the house to the car, jumped in and drove off for help. “Actually the boys at that very moment, armed with the shotgun and rifles, were hiding in the bushes behind the back door waiting for their parents,” continued Mr Speight The police were called by the Bridges and made a wide search for the boys, who were eventually seen about SJO the next morning near Papakura. A truck driver picked them up, took them into the township and then told the police where the boys were. Statements Bead

Mr Speight then read to the jury the long and involved statements made by the boys to the police about the alleged murder. The statements were those read in the Magistrate’s Court on April 29.

After reading the statements, Mr Speight said that he would call evidence corroborating “to the finest detail” what the boys had said.

“Every detail,** he said, "ties up the shots in the glasshouse and the other practice Shots and the missing dinghy.” Mr Speight told the jury that it had a case in which the older boy, Robert, had, with the full knowledge and approval of his younger brother, shot his two sisters.

‘"They also planned to kill their parents,” he said. “In fact they practised to do so and would have done so had it aot been fbr the chance happening of the opossum.” Mr Speight drew to the jury’s attention “special circumstances”

that would have to be taken into account when determining its verdict. He said that although Trevor had not fired any of the fatal shots,' evidence showed that Trevor encouraged his brother and knew what he was going to do.

Matter of Age

Another special circumstance was the matter of age, said Mr Speight Robert aged 16, was an adult in the eyes of the law, since persons 14 and over stood equal in matters of this nature. For anyone below that age. however, a special consideration applied. Mr Speight said that in law anyone under seven was “incapable of eommittting a crime—which is utterly preposterous, of course." In the case o* one between the ages of seven and 14. however, the law said that no person should be convicted unless the jury that tried him was of the opinion that he knew such an act was wrong. Mr Speight said the Crown would call evidence from a prominent psychiatrist who would say that, in his opinion. Trevor knew that his part in the erime was wrong. In New Zeeland law every person was presumed sane. If the question of sanity came up for diseunion it was a matter tor the defence to raise if it wanted

I to. I it is the belief of the ■, Crown that, although unorthofcj®* to ****** behaviour, these y Mr Speight. . Crown viewed Trevor

as having aided apd abetted Robert, said Mr Speight Examined by Mr Morris, Sergeant B. C. Revell, a police photographer, said he confiscated two ,22 rifles and a double-barrelled shotgun. “I examined them for fingerprints, but without success,” he said. One of the repeating rifles had a live shell in it. The other was empty, as was the shotgun. Dudley Robert Bridge said the family had been farming at Waipipi for five years, and the business venture had not been a great success. The family had been a happy one, and he got on well with his wife. The accused Robert left Waiuku High School about one year before the tragedy, and then went to work on the farm. The younger accused "had his jobs.” The elder was paid 2s fid a hour for his work, and the younger was given pocket money.

The witness said that on the night of the tragedy he went to Waiuku to attend a church meeting, and his wife went to a woodwork class. It had been a normal working day, and there had been no arguments at the dinner table.

Return Home He and his wife returned home about 9.10 p.m, and the witness saw an opossum which he decided to kill He drove the car into the yard and went into the house to get a rifle. The guns were not in the usual place.

The witness then described finding the child Valerie dead in her cot in the bedroom occupied by his wife and himself, and the elder child dead in an attitude of prayer at her bedside.

“Somebody, God, or something, told me not to hesitate or stop but go,” said the witness. “At that time I did not suspect my sons. I just rushed to the car and went to the home of friends, where I notified the police." Cross-examined by Mr Leary, the witness said that they were in the habit of worshipping at the Waiuku Gospel Hall. As a general practice he and Robert went to church in the morning, Robert and the other children

went to Sunday school on Sunday afternoon, and on Sunday evenings Robert took turns to go with either parent to church. Robert went to church three times a day on Sunday, and during the week went to a young people's meeting on Saturday and sometimes on Thursday. He was received into the church about one year before the tragedy. The witness then Identified a number of exercise books, diaries, and notebooks in Robert’s handwriting wnich the witness found shortly after the shooting. Questioned About Entries

Questioned about entries in one of the books, the witness said he was almost certain that “Anne,” referred to in one, was a young girl Robert fell in love with, but the romance ended shortly before last Christmas. He knew nothing of a girl referred to as “Natalie.” When Robert went to school he asked the witness about playing football, but he (the witness) had pointed out that taking Robert to and from Waiuku to play would add to expenses when the witness needed him on the farm. Both boys knew of the financial stress on the farm. Both had been given money. Robert had been paid statutory farm wages after leaving school, and Trevor was often given £1 when he went to Waiuku. The witness “did his best.’’

The witness said that a few months before the tragedy he thought Robert was silent and uncommunicative, but thought that was because he had lost bis girl. Until the witness read the books he found he had no idea that Robert had had such thoughts or had made drawings such as found in them. One, at least, he considered, almost amounted to blasphemy. Robert had never given any indication of violence. Drawings containing such violence and savagery in such detail had surprised him almost as much as finding his two little girls dead. He knew of no reason why either boy should want to harm him. Robert had always been kind, and so had Trevor.

Some of the books referred to love topics, religious matters, and violence. Referring to a poem called “The Death Row,” the witness said that death by violence was never referred to in the home, and the only direct allusion to it his son might hear might be in a radio serial.

The witness agreed that drawings done by Robert depicting men firing guns and armed with daggers could have been done while the accused was at a winter camp. He said a poem called “In The Churchyard.” describing a ghostly feast, was also in Robert’s handwriting. The trial will be continued tomorrow.