Girl Charged With Father’s Murder

Press, Issue 30997, 1 March 1966, Page 3

Girl Charged With Father’s Murder

(New Zealand Press Association* AUCKLAND, February 28. The trial will continue in the Supreme Court, Auckland, tomorrow of Denise Virginia Hettig, aged 16, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering her father, Richard Hettig, aged 45, at Anawhata, six miles from Titirangi, on July 29,1965.

Hettig is represented by Mr P. B. Temm and Mr D. A. Lyon. Mr D. S. Morris is conducting the Crown case.

She is appearing before Mr Justice Richmond and a jury which includes one woman. Two other women jurors were excluded by challenge and six were excused service on this case because of home obligations.

Mr Morris said evidence would be called to show that accused awakened the wife of a constable at 3.50 a.m. saying she had killed her father with a gun because she hated him.

Mr Morris quoted from a statement police said was made to them by the accused in which she told of her decision on May 7, 1965, to cease living with her mother, who was separated from her father. LEFT MOTHER Her mother had dwelt on her father’s wrongs and expected accused to wait on her and her men friends. After a row on May 7, accused had gone to live with her father.

Friction had arisen with her father after accused wanted to become engaged, and he had used the question of permission as a means of getting information about his wife’s doings. After giving him information he wanted, she felt sick, “like a traitor,” and wanted to kill herself, the statement said.

Finally, she had thought of running away and then of shooting her father. She had taken one of his guns which was loaded, the statement said, had gone to her father's bedroom and shone a torch in his face and then shot him in the head a number of times.

Mona Evelyn Barry said her husband was formerly a constable at Henderson. She described being awakened by accused, who told her she had killed her father. Edward Fitzgerald Barry, formerly a constable at Henderson, said he asked the girl why she had killed her father and she said: “Because I hate him.”

He obtained the name of the family doctor, but accused said “there is no need

to ring a doctor. I put about six shots into his head.”

Accused was sobbing and spoke in a low voice, but was quite composed. She said the rifle she had used was in her father’s van. She said the killing had not been on the spur of the moment. She had thought about it for a few days. When warned about making a statement, she had said: “What have I got to lose? It was either him or me, and I didn't have the guts to commit suicide. He was mad. My mother told me he was, but I didn’t believe her.” Warren David Mills, a de-tective-sergeant, said there was no electricity connected to the Hettig home, which was lit by kerosene. He described finding Hettig, dressed in pyjamas and covered by bedclothes. His face was covered in blood. The body was warm but there was no breathing. Witness found on the floor coverings three .22 calibre cartridge cases. No other cases were found. Accused’s bed had not been slept in, but someone had been lying on top of it. There were a number of firearms and ammunition in the lounge.

A typewritten letter to deceased lay on a table, and a card from a firm of private detectives and a receipt for £3O from them were also found.

Mrs Mary Patricia Wells said that on July 28 the deceased and his daughter came to her house about 7.30 p.m. They appeared to be getting on quite weU as far as witness could see. They left about 11.30 p.m. William Joseph Beveridge, a caretaker, said he had seen the accused using an air rifle when he, accused and her father had shot at a teapot. He had never seen accused using any other type of rifle. Desmond John Andrew Doyle, a pathologist, said he examined the body of Richard Hettig and found three bullet wounds near the right eye. Death would have been more or less instantaneous.

Carl Robert Hutchinson, a detective-sergeant said he was appointed oflier-in-chargc of the Hettig inquiry. To Mr Temm, witness said it was possible the deceased had been awake when he was shot. It was also possible he had been raised on an elbow. (Proceeding.)