SENT FOR TRIAL ON MURDER CHARGE

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30424, 24 April 1964, Page 3

SENT FOR TRIAL ON MURDER CHARGE

(A’ew Zealand Press Association?

WELLINGTON, April 23.

Rangi Haumata Anderson, aged 22, charged with murdering Janet Ruth Coulson in Wellington on March 27, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial bn completion of evidence in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court this evening.

The Crown alleges Anderson murdered Miss Coulson, aged 19, in a room at 36 Devon street, Wellington.

Nineteen witnesses were heard today.

Mr J. A. Wicks, S.M., was on the Bench. Mr W. R Birks, assisted by DetectiveSergeant R. H. White, appeared for the Crown. Anderson was represented by Mr F. j D. O’Flynn. Andrew Ihipa Katene, a bushman, said he knew An- 1 derson. but did not knowl Janet Coulson very well. On March 26, at 36 Devoni street, he was woken by a couple of screams next door. 1 “It sounded like a woman’s voice. The screams lasted a little while.” Donald Stewart Mackenzie, a workman, of Arthur street, ; said he saw Anderson leave! the party with Janet Coulson., As “Peanut” (Janet Coulson) left she yelled out that] she did not want to leave: with Anderson. “Struggling" Witness said that “Peanut”; w r as on her feet and he I thought she was being; dragged from the party against I her will. She was struggling.! He was not sure, but he i thought Anderson had his shirt off at that stage. That was the last time he saw Janet Coulson and Anderson that night. Alice Maureen Brown said she and her husband lived at 36 Devon street in the room opposite that occupied by Anderson and Coulson. They were wakened that night by several bangs in Anderson’s room. It seemed something was being thrown around. The banging lasted about 15 minutes and then it went quiet and all she could hear was heavy breathing. Then Rangi called to her husband, “Brother, brother, come in. Break the door down.” “When I got into Rangi's rcom I found Janet lying on the bed. Rangi was breathing into her mouth. “Stockings Ripped” “Her stockings were ripped, her eyes were all black and pushed in and there were a few bumps on her legs. There was blood on her legs and her face and blood all over Rangi’s mouth.” “I just took one look and went out.” John Peter Brown, the husband of the previous witness s?td he heard Anderson come home. A few minutes later he heard thumps and squealing coming from Anderson’s room. The squealing voice sounded like “Peanut’s.” A few minutes after the thumping stopped Anderson called out to him to ring for an ambulance. Witness said he had asked Anderson what was the matter and had been told by Anderson again to ring an ambulance and say it was urgent. He had done so and when asked by an ambulance officer what was wrong he had gone to f cderson’s room to have a look. Locked Door He could not get through the door to Anderson’s room because it was locked and he had asked Anderson if he could ge'. in through the window. Receiving no reply he had climbed through the window and turned on the light in Anderson’s room. * e saw “Peanut” lying on the bed and Anderson kneeling on the floor beside the bed applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Janet Coulson’s clothing was untidy, she had blood on her face and her legs were starting to go blue. Anderson had asked him again to ring for an ambulance. Brown said he had left the room and told the ambulance officer: “She (Janet Coulson) looks bad to me.” Later, Anderson had borrowed a pullover or a shirt from him. Brown said he considered that Anderson and ‘Teanut” were not meant to go together. They had arguments but he had never seen them fighting or any blows being exchanged. Danny Rimene said he saw

an argument start between Rangi and “Peanut” at the party.

The girl was crying and when Rangi picked her up by the waist and carried her outside she was struggling all the time. Rangi had no shirt on at the time.

Tassisio Afeaki, aged 17, a student, said he was reading in bed at 41A Devon street on the night of March 26 while a party was in progress downstairs.

Banging, Screaming There was some banging; and screaming and then he heard someone crying outside. He went outside and saw a man and a woman and also two men who were struggling. After he had returned to bed he heard a girl yelling. He thought she said something like: “He’ll kill me.” He got up and went .down the stairs.

Inside the fence of 36 Devon street he saw a man and woman struggling. They fell down some steps and when they came to rest were still struggling on the ground.

Then they went into the house through a window. Later he found a pair of girl’s shoes under the window and handed them to the police. Deeply Unconscious

Brian Philip Duncan, a detective-constable, said he found a woman lying on a double bed at '36 Devon street, with a puffed, swollen face. She appeared to be deeply unconscious. “Anderson said: ‘Get me to a Catholic church. I’m a Catholic—l want to go to a Catholic church’.” Anderson said the woman was his de facto wife and that an argument had developed over an emotional matter.

Publication of further alleged statements by Anderson at this stage was suppressed by the Court at the request of Mr O’Flynn. Duncan said Anderson later began to search through the top drawer of a tallboy in his room. Anderson told Duncan he was looking for a rosary and asked for assistance. “I found a cross in the drawer and gave it to Anderson. He took the cross and placed it on Coulson’s chest.” Took Statement Later in the night Duncan said he took a statement from Anderson in the C. 1.8. office at the ' Central Police Station. Publication of this document, which was read to the Court, was also suppressed at Mr O’Flynn’s request. Vincent Thompson, an ambulance officer, said he found a girl lying on a double bed and Anderson giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. “I found that she was not breathing herself, but I detected a very faint heart and pulse beat.

“I asked Anderson what had happened and he replied: ‘I did it’.”

Paul Whitmore Dewhurst, another ambulance officer, said he asked Anderson what had happened. He replied: “I I hit her.” Call To Police Dewhurst said he told ; Anderson he was going to 'call the police. Anderson said: “I wish you would do that.” Charles Angelus Blades, a senior house surgeon at Wellington Hospital, said Coulson was admitted to the casualty department in the 'early hours of March 27. “Her condition was serious j and she was deeply unconI scious,” Blades said. “She i was shocked, suffering with ! multiple bruises, lacerations and abrasions to many parts of her body. Her limbs were flaccid.” Blades said Coulson was breathing at the time of admission. He transfused blood 'into her body and also stitched some minor lacerations, but her condition did not improve and she died at 7.5 a.m.

Graham Anthony Roger Hamilton, a police constable, said when he was directed to 36 Devon street he saw a woman lying on a double bed. “An ambulance officer was administering oxygen.” Anderson was kneeling at the foot of the bed with his head in the bedclothes. He was sobbing. Hamilton said he touched Anderson and asked him what had happened. Anderson’s reply was: “It’s all my fault—l did it.” He continued to sob.