MAN ADMITS ARSON AND ASSAULT

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29832, 26 May 1962, Page 14

MAN ADMITS ARSON AND ASSAULT

“The police have termed this case somewhat unusual. That would be the understatement of the year. The French would term it a crime passionnel.” said Mr R S. D Twyneham in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when he appeared for a man charged wifh arson and assault at Kaikoura on May 16. The man. whose name was suppressed. pleaded guilty, and was remanded by Mr H. Rosen. S M. until June 1 for sentence. Bail was allowed. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said that the Kaikoura volunteer Fire Brigade, called at 12 30 a m on May 16 to a house fire, found the hous< enveloped in flames. The house and its contents were soon a total loss Arson was suspected, and at 4 a.m. the accused was stopped on the Main North road near Northcote. He frankly admitted setting fire to the house. “The circumstances are somewhat unusual.” said Sergeant Townshend The accused, he said, had an 18-year-old daughter who had been employed in the Kaikoura district since February this year. She had been associated with a former acquaintance who occupied the house destroyed The accused learned of the association and objected strongly, and on the afternoon of May 15 went to Kaikoura to verify statements he had heard about his daughter’s association with the man. Watched House

“The accused watched the house for some time and observed his daughter in the house. He waited to see if she went home, and when just after midnight the lights in the house went out he considered his daughter would be sleeping the night.” Sergeant Townshend said.

The accused then jemmied open the back door of the house. "The light went on. and the accused saw a naked Maori man and his daughter in a similar state. The man confronted the accused with a .303 rifle, and the accused attacked the man. "Both men went down on to the floor, and the accused struck the man on the head with the jemmy, causing a slight injury In the struggle the accused took a knife from his pocket and tried to stick it into the man, but it was removed from his

hand by the girl,” said Sergeant Townshend

The light was knocked out, and the man then ran away across the paddocks, still .’a the nude. The girl also left the house and ran for help The accused obtained th; rifle, and searched unsuccessfully tor the man.

Started Fire "The accused says he then heaped up some old rubbish, curtains, and a mat, and set Are to the articles, and the fire spread rapidly through the building. “The back of the house was burning when the accused s daughter rushed into the house looking for the man who had been there. The accused followed her into the burning and threw her through a bedroom window and then jumped through the window himself. He received bums to the head," said Sergeant Townshend. The accused then pleaded with his daughter to go home with him, but she refused, and he then left for Christchurch. said Sergeant Townshend.

When interviewed, the accused was extremely frank. He said he only wanted his daughter to go home with him, but when he was confronted by a nude Maori, and knowing his daughter was in the house, he went berserk. "There is no evidence that the accused broke into the house with intent to commit a crime.” Sergeant Townshend said "He had two rifles in his car. but did not take them into the house He said he always carried a knife on him when he was going shooting, and had told his wife he was going on a shooting trip when he left Christchurch." £ 1000 Damage The fire damage to the house was estimated at £6OO and to the contents at £4OO The building was insured for £4OO and the contents for £2OO. The accused had no previous convictions, and his general reputation was very good. Mr Twyneham. asking for suppression of the accused’s name, said that publication W'ould not hurt his client, who had shown a certain amount of heroism in rescuing his daughter from the house after the fire had stared. but it would bring the girl's name into the open The Magistrate said that the order for suppression might not be continued when sentence was imposed. He allowed bail at £2OO, with a similar surety, and ordered the accused to report twice a week to the police.