CORONER’S COURT Woman “Walked Into Path Of Car”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31782, 12 September 1968, Page 5

CORONER’S COURT Woman “Walked Into Path Of Car”

When the inquest into the. death of Joan Christiansen, aged 73, was concluded in the Coroner’s Court yesterday afternoon the Coroner (Mr A. T. Bell) found that she died in Colombo Street on June 8, the cause of death being severe head injuries suffered when she was struck by a car driven by Leon James Carter. Lorena Anne Murdoch, a telephonist, said in evidence that she saw Mrs Christiansen walk directly into the path of the car near the intersection of Colombo and Salisbury Streets. It was very dark at the time and the road was wet. Suicide Verdicts Shirley Lorraine Low, aged 21, a student, was found to have died near the Sign of the Kiwi on June 18, having committed suicide, the cause of death being poisoning. Jack Price, aged 46, was found to have died in a flat at ’ 377 Cambridge Terrace on 1 July 14, having committed suicide, the cause of death being carbon monoxide poisoning. Edna Mary Price, aged 61, a ; married woman, was found to have died in the Heathcote ' River on July 16, having committed suicide, the cause of death being asphyxia caused ! by drowning. Death From Wounds Margaret Lorraine Jesty, aged 21, was found to have i died on October 26 at 109 i Chester Street, the cause of • death being shock and haemorrhage associated with multi- ' pie stab wounds to the abdo-

. men inflicted by Gordon Cross. Detective Sergeant Patrick John O’Donovan said Cross had been found guilty of Miss Jesty’s murder by a jury in the Supreme Court and had been sentenced to life imprisonment His appeal against sentence had failed. Killed In Accident Peter Joseph Dunne, aged 19, a student was found to have died on August 4 near the intersection of Sparks and Hendersons Roads, the cause of death being shock and haemorrhage due to severe internal injuries suffered when a car driven by Richard Charles Croft in which he was a passenger struck a power pole. Heart Failure Henry Albert Snook, aged 66, died on June 30, the cause of death being acute heart ' failure aggravated by methyl • alcohol poisoning. Scooter Rider Killed William David Harris, aged ' 42, was found to have died on January 13 in Bower Avenue, 1 the cause of death being acute ' loss of blood from multiple 1 fractures and rupture of the : spleen, left kidney and arter- ■ ies, suffered when the motorscooter he was riding collided with a car driven by William David Schutt. Open Verdict Alfred Howard, aged 76, was 1 found to have died on July 3 at 272 Barbadoes Street, the ■ cause of death being carbon monoxide poisoning and cor- ■ onary atherosclerosis.