CORONERS COURT Verdict of death from unknown cause

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32540, 25 February 1971, Page 13

CORONERS COURT Verdict of death from unknown cause

A verdict of death on or about July 3 at Waimairi Beach from an unknown cause was brought in by the district Coroner (Mr E. B. E. ’Taylor) when he concluded the inquest yesterday into the death of Stephen Gordon Bailey, aged 20, a student. Jacques Van Den Bosch, said in evidence that he was running along the beach about half a mile from the Waimairi Surf Club about 7.30 p.m. on July 4 when he saw a man’s coat and pullover draped over a post at the foot of some sandhills. There were also a pair of shoes, a large empty sherry bottle and an empty half-size gin bottle on the sand. The clothing was wet and there was no person about.

The witness said he found a set of keys in the coat pocket which fitted a Ford Anglia car he later saw parked in Broad Street. Sergeant James Thomas Mackenzie said a Post Office savings book found in the car had the name of Richard Stephen Gordon Bailey and the address of 15 Domain Terrace. Enquiries at this address revealed that Bailey left home about 7 p.m. oh July 2 after a minor disagreeiment with his sister over the washing up of dishes. “From this information I formed the opinion that Bailey could have taken his own life by entering the surf.”

William Alexander Cromie, a former police constable of Sumner, said the body of a young male person was recovered from shallow water about 100 yards west of Shag Rock at 10.30 a.m. on December 12. The body had the general appearance of having been in the water for about two months or more. “There was nothing about the body by which identification could be established,” he said. Evidence of identification from clothing on the body was given when the inquest was opened. RIFLE DEATH The accidental discharge of a .22 rifle while it was being cleaned was found to have caused a skull wound which resulted in the death of Samuel Alexander Stockdill, aged 65, at an address in Breezes Road on October 12. Constable Kenneth Ronald McLeod said he found the body of Mr StockdiU lying in the porch of his house at 217 Breezes Road on October 15. He appeared to have been dead for some days. Constable McLeod said there was a .22 calibre target rifle beside his body, and a cleaning brush, pull-through and pad of cleaning material were found underneath the body. "From the result of my inspection and inquiries I am satisfied that Mr Stockdill was cleaning his rifle when it accidentally discharged,” he said. SCALDED The Coroner found ■ that Anthony Grant Kerr, aged five, died at Burwood Hospital on November 1. The cause of death was bronchopneumonia associated with severe burns suffered when he was accidentally scalded on October S. Carol April Eileen Hammond, aged 17, said that on October 9 she was living at 41a Blackett Street, Ranglora, and looking after Anthony Kerr. On this day she ran hot water into the bath and then went into the kitchen where she was delayed for about five minutes. She heard Anthony screaming and found him trying to stand up in the bath. He was scalded from the waist down to the feet. She said she thought the boy was asleep in bed when she ran the bath. Niels Bentzen, a registered medical practitioner, said Anthony Kerr was admitted to Burwood Hospital on October 9. He developed pneumonia on October 31 which did not respond to treatment and he died on November 1. HEAD INJURIES Etherlinda Brown, aged 91, was

found to have died at Charteris

Bay on September 12. The cause of death was severe head injuries suffered when a car in which she was a passenger and driven by her son, Campbell John Brown, went out of control and ran off the road. Campbell John Brown, aged 68, a retired insurance salesman, said that about 4 p.m. on September 12 he was driving near Bay when his car went out of control on a corner and dropped into the harbour. His mother, Etherlinda Brown, was a passenger. "I cannot give any explanation for the car behaving like this. I can only think that 1 must have hit a stone or clay which caused the swerve,” he said. Robert Gordon Moor said he noticed some skid marks as he was driving through Charteris Bay about 5 p.m. on September 12. He then saw the floor pan of a car down in the harbour about 20ft off the road. He said he helped a man out of the car. When the car was rolled on to its wheels he saw the body of an elderly woman lying face up In about six inches of water. She had been pinned under the car and was obviously dead.

CAR STRUCK ROLE The Coroner found that Patara Mohi, aged 16, died of multiple internal injuries at Christchurch Hospital on July 8. The injuries were suffered when a car driven by Harry Jack Tawera in which he was a passenger struck a pole in Shands Road near Broadfields the same day. PASSENGER KILLED Cyril James Weir, aged 64, died at Christchurch Hospital on October B,|he cause of d<ath being myocarditis, associated with head injuries. The injuries were suffered when a car driven by Ray McCreath Ferguson was involved in an accident at Fairlie on September 26. CAR OVERTURNED Asphyxia caused by intrapulmonary haemorrhage was found to be the cause of death of Paul Anthony Sweeney, aged 22, who died at Templeton on November 11 when a car he was driving on the Main South Road went out of control and rolled over. ASPHYXIA David Ross Finlay, aged 18, died at Sheffield on October 10 from asphyxia caused by mechanical constriction of the neck suffered when a car he was driving struck a bank and overturned on the Malvern Hills Road that day.