Committed For Trial On Stabbing Charges

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29377, 2 December 1960, Page 8

Committed For Trial On Stabbing Charges

When questioned about his alleged stabbing of a young woman and young man on a farm at Okains Bay at 5 a.m. on October 28, William Brian Peka told an Akaroa constable that he was aware of what he had done and if he was convicted and sentenced he would “wait for the day I get out as I haven’t finished with them yet,” according to evidence given,on the second day of hearing of charges against Peka in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.' Evidence from all 18 police witnesses was completed yesterday, and Peka, aged 27, a carpenter (Mr G. R. Lascelles) was committed to the Supreihe Court for trial on charges of attempting to murder Patricia Eileen Taylor, aged 20, and assaulting Trevor Allen Grant, so as to cause him actual bodily harm. Peka pleaded not guilty to both charges and elected trial by jury.

Messrs W. E. Olds and W. W. Laing, Justices of the Peace, were on the Bench

because she wouldn’t let me see the baby. I raised the dagger above my head and stabbed it into her shoulder. I then pulled it above my head and pushed it in under Pat’s arm into her side. Pat then screamed out and went into my arms. I then pulled myself together, as I ■ knew if I stabbed Pat again I might kill her.

On a separate charge of theft of timber, a sink bench, and taps valued at £lO 15s from Geoffrey George Mudford on October 12 Peka was remanded to December 5. Dr. A. H. Stewart, of Akaroa, said he examined Miss Taylor and Grant at his surgery at 5.40 am. on the day of the alleged stabbing. Grant was suffering from a wound on the upper left arm near the shoulder which, although bleeding freely, was not serious. Miss .Taylor was suffering from two wounds, one towards the left shoulder, which had penetrated deeply but had struck no organs, and the other half-way down the left side of the chest. “At that stage there was no evidence that this wound involved any deeper structure,” said Dr. Stewart. He said that because of her state of shock she was kept under observation after the wounds were sutured.

“I stuck the knife into, her hard and when I did so I was so wild that I intended to kill her. I was wild with her for not letting me see the baby. I knew' she was in a bad way as she was bleeding a lot under the arm. “I am now sorry for what I did to Pat. I love her to the bottom of my heart. When I went to the house I had no inten-i tion of stabbing her but took the knife to protect myself against Trevor Grant.

“After sticking her twice I calmed down quickly and thought I would give her all the assistance I could." Peka's statement concluded.

“After being under observation for about half to three-quarters of an hour it became apparent that the second wound had actually penetrated the chest wall and punctured the lung,” he said. This resulted in air escaping from the lung and entering the chest cavity, thus preventing the lung from expanding. She was taken to Christchurch Hospital by ambulance about 9.40 am. for treatment. “Her condition when she left Akaroa was serious in that had air continued to escape from the lung at the same rate it could have been fatal,” Dr. Stewart said. Constable J. Ruddhall, of Akaroa, said he was about to leave his home to travel to the Grant homestead at 5.40 a.m. on October 28 when he saw Trevor Grant, wearing a. pyjama coat and with a fair amount of blood on his shoulder. Grant spoke to the constable, who went to the car and saw Miss Taylor slumped inside. He spoke to Peka, who had followed Grant up the driveway to the police station. “Very Excited”

Detective-Sergeant . Harrowfield said he informed Peka the following morning that he would be charged with attempting to murder Miss Taylor. He read the charge and Peka said: “That’s a lie; if I wanted to kill her I could have killed her at any time.”

Peka appeared to be very excited and said he had stabbed Miss Taylor and Grant and that he had come to give himself up, Constable Ruddhail said. “I asked him if he was aware of what he had done and he said, ‘Yes, if I am convicted and sentenced I will wait for the day I get out as I am not finished with them yet’.” Constable Ruddhall produced a statement allegedly made to him by Peka. Detective-Sergeant L. D. Harrowfield said he went to the farm on the morning of the alleged stabbing and recovered a bloodstained dagger. He said he saw Peka about 1.30 p.m. and told him that Miss Taylor had been taken to Christchurch Hospital in a serious condition. Peka had said: “How is Pat? I love that girl.” In a statement allegedly made to Detective-Sergeant Harrowfield, Peka said Patricia Taylor had been living with him in Bangor street, Christchurch, as his de facto wife. A child had been bom to them in November last year. He said that when he arrvied home from work on October 9 she was not home. He later found her at her sister's home at 8 Kenilworth street, Addington. When he saw her there she said she would come back to his home on October 24. “X knew that Pat knew Trevor Grant, whose home was at Okains Bay. I tried to get in touch with Grant to tell him to keep away from Pat but I could not locate him. On October 24 I telephoned Grant’s father’s home at Okains Bay. He told me Pat and the baby were at his home. I told Grant if he did not bring my child and Pat back to Christchurch I would go over to Okains Bay. I did not see any more of her so decided to go over there.” After hiring a taxi and then getting a lift by car to the summit of the Okains Bay road Peka said he slept by the side of the road and, waking up about 3 a.m the next morning, he walked towards the Grant’s homestead Shortly before 5 a.m. he arrived at the back of the house. “Wanted Ta See Child” “At this stage I only wanted to see my child. I had my dog with me and the sheath of the dagger was tied to the Collar. I went in the back door when I saw Mrs Grant leave the house. I went into the kitchen and met Patricia in the doorway of a room and told her I wanted to see the baby but she said I could not as it was not her home. “By then I had taken the dagger from the sheath and put it in m> pocket. I took it inside with me in case Trevor Grant tried to stop me from seeing my baby Trevor Grant then appeared witha rifle and asked me to go to the cow-bail to see his father and I went there with him.” Peka’s statement then 'said he decided he would go back to the house to see Patricia and Hie baby, and as he started back Trevor Grant used a stockwhip on him. This roused his temper and at the comer of the house he had a struggle with Grant He then rushed into the house. “She did not have the baby with her. The dagger was in my pocket I put it in my hand and Pat asked me wha’ I was doing with it She asked me for the dagger and I would not give it to her. She then rushed past me out the back door and made through a hole in the hedge towards the cowshed. I ran after her and caught up with her. I caught hold of her and said I wanted to see the baby. At this pe/£ d Trevor Grant again ap-

T t " w him 1 “Y temper. I was wild with Pat