Man Charged With Murder Of Nurse From Auckland

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29268, 28 July 1960, Page 15

Man Charged With Murder Of Nurse From Auckland

MELBOURNE, July 27. An unidentified poison in a cup of coffee given to a young New Zealand nursing sister on Saturday morning caused her death several hours later, police alleged in the city Court today.

Inspector Stanley Armstrong, prosecuting, said the nurse was visiting a married couple above a chemist’s shop in Ringwood, when the coffee was given to her. Etienne Pau] Mehari, aged 30, a storeman for a city drughouse, was charged with having murdered the nurse. Miss Marion Sapwell, aged 23, of Auckland. Miss Sapwell came to Australia 14 months ago. and had been nursing at a Wangaratta hospital.

Miss Sapwell worked in an Auckland office until she was old enough to take up nursing. She was trained at Green Lane Hospital and completed her maternity training at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne before going to Wangaratta Hospital. She was due to return to New Zealand in December. Her parents flew to Australia yesterday. She had four younger brothers. Mr Hammond. SM . remanded Mehari until August 4.

After hearing addresses from Inspector Armstrong and Mr B. Shillito, for Mehari, the Magistrate fixed bail at £5OO with a similar surety. Mr Shillito said his client would report to police headquarters once a dav when released.

Mehari appeared in Court wearing a grey dustcoat. Inspector Armstrong said Mehari lived with his wife and one child above a Ringwood chemist’s shop. His wife, a chemist, managed the shop for the owner. Inspector Armstrong said Miss Sapwell came from Wangaratta, about 40 miles from Melbourne, to stay the weekend with the Mehari family last Friday night. “Next morning, it is alleged, Mehari gave her a cup of coffee which contained an unknown poisonous substance,” he said.

“Ten minutes after she drank the coffee the girl complained of. a burning sensation in the mouth. She became ill and was taken to the Box Hill and District Hospital.” Just after midnight on Sunday she died.

Inspector Armstrong said a postmortem examination had been held, but the full result of medical tests were not yet available to the police. The nature of the substance was not yet known. “It is alleged to be a dangerous poison of some kind." Inspector Armstrong said. Senior Detective A. W. Conn, of the homicide squad, said Mehari admitted to him that he gave Miss Sapwell a cup of coffee. “Mehari said he knew it contained a dangerous substance and knew it was poisonous. He didn't tell me what it was.” Conn said. “He said he didn’t want to tell me what it was, and would not tell me." he said. To Mr Shillito, the detective said he did not know the nature of the potion in the coffee. Mr Hammond upheld a submission by Mr Shillito that it would hot be “dangerous” to grant bail to Mehari.