Charge Of Manslaughter By Administering Drugs

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31774, 3 September 1968, Page 26

Charge Of Manslaughter By Administering Drugs

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, September 2.

A youth alleged to have fled from a Grafton Road shack and hidden drugs after his friend became ill on June 22 appeared in the Supreme Court today charged with causing the death of Gregory Phillip Sharpies, aged 17, by the unlawful act of administering narcotics, thereby committing manslaughter.

The trial of the youth, Rodney Francis Davis, aged 20, a screen printer, began before the Chief Justice (Sir Richard Wild) and a jury of eight men and four women. Mr L. W. Brown appears for accused. Davis is also charged with administering a narcotic to Michael Joseph Ryan, administering morphine, pethidine and cocaine to Gregory Phillip Sharpies, and having narcotics in his possession for supplying to another person. He also faces a charge of breaking and entering a Howick chemist’s shop on June 22 or alternatively of re. ceiving narcotics worth $34.68 from the shop, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained.

Michael Joseph Ryan said he had known both Davis and Sharpies about six months.

Davis arrived at the shack during the evening of June 22 and said he had some tuinal capsules and asked witness if he wanted to be "turned on.” Davis produced the drugs and a hypodermic and both had the drug injected intravenously. Davis gave the injections. They went out and had a hamburger. Ryan said he returned before the others and was ready to go to bed when Davis and Sharpies arrived, soon before midnight. Davis was carrying a satchel. “Davis asked if I wanted to ‘turn on’ and I said yes,” Ryan said. The bag contained canisters of pethidine and omno-

pon. Later he found there was some cocaine, said Ryan. There was no discussion of where they came from. “We all ‘turned on’ on pethidine,” said Ryan. “Davis injected himself first, then me, then Sharpies.” Sharpies and Davis later had omnopon, but Ryan said he stayed with pethidine. “1 had five injections,” he said. “Davis did them all. I think Sharpies had the same amount and Davis did them all too. I couldn’t say how many Davis had.” Ryan said morphine and cocaine were also used. Davis and Sharpies had it as a mixture. Sharpies received it twice.

Ryan said that toward the end he was sick and went to sleep. Davis woke him and said Sharpies had had an overdose. Davis administered mouth to mouth resuscitation to Sharpies. This was effec. tive and they walked him around for half an hour and then went back to the bunk. Davis woke him later. Sharpies was looking extremely ill and Davis was trying to bring him round. He thought that it was at this time that Davis said he was going to get an ambulance. Ryan was feeling extremely ill but decided to go to the hospital to see if he could get a doctor.

He went down the path doubled up. He tried to be sick but could not. It became hard to walk and he had to go back. He next remembered waking up and finding some people had come round. The drags were gone but he had not removed them. In cross-examination, he said he had been taking drugs about four or five months, the same time as Davis and Sharpies. It was only in minor quantities, he said.

Detective Constable Craig Gibson Duncan said Davis made a written statement to him on June 27. In it he said Sharpies was a good friend of his. He had known him for a year and a half to two years. They had lived together in flats for a time. On Saturday, June 22, Davis said he went to see a film. Later he went to see Sharpies in Boyle Crescent.. Sharpies told him he had some “stuff,” which included morphine, cocaine and pethidine. They decided to go to Ryan’s place. Sharpies had only a rough idea how to “shoot,” said the statement. Davis said he told Sharpies he was using too much drug in a dose.

Sharpies had about 10 doses, Davis said. Davis had about the same but was more used to it. After about half an hour he went to sleep. When he woke up,

Sharpies had fallen asleep and appeared unwell. Ryan appeared at this time and they walked Sharpies around. Sharpies appeared to be all right aftd told Davis to get rid of the rest of the “stuff.”

Detective Constable Cedric Paul Kruger said that on July 11 he searched the yard of accused’s home in Mount Eden.

Behind a shed he found a brown satchel under several sheets of corrugated iron. It contained a quantity of narcotics. In a hedge he found a duffle bag, also containing narcotics.

Dr Roderick Boyd Ellice Pegler said he examined Sharpies about 10.30 p.m. on June 23 at the Auckland Public Hospital. He considered Sharpies could have been suffering from brain damage as a result of oxygen not getting to the brain. The state could well have been caused by drugs, he said. Dr Boris Matthem Corbett, registrar of the acute respiratory unit at the hospital, said Sharpies was transferred to the unit on June 24 and died there on June 27. The treatment was stopped when it was concluded the patient had suffered irreversible brain damage. The trial will continue tomorrow.