Man fires shotgun at daughter

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32778, 1 December 1971, Page 2

Man fires shotgun at daughter

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Nov. 30. A man pointed a shotgun at his 14-year-old daughter and fired at her while she hid behind a boat, said Sergeant E. K. Aylward in the Otahuhu Magistrate’s Court today.

Although most of the pellets passed over the girl’s head, two wounded her in the forehead and left eye, Sergeant Aylward said. She would probably lose the sight of the eye.

Appearing before Mr K. L. Richardson, S.M., Lei Gaaka Brown, aged 41, a bus driver, admitted that at Papakura yesterday, with reckless disregard for the safety of others, he wounded Maislae Lei Brown.

Sergeant Aylward said Brown had earlier discussed a problem with his daughter and found that she had been untruthful. When she arrived home from school yesterday, Brown and his wife tried to get the truth from her. The girl became insolent and began to argue. Brown lost his temper and

punched the girl with a closed fist.

Brown struck the girl several times with a kitchen chair. She went outside afid Brown took a shotgun and three cartridges from his bedroom Wardrobe. One cartridge was loaded in the gun. On the back lawn, his wife struggled to take the gun from him. However, Brown pointed the gun at the girl who was hiding behind a boat at the end of the section, and fired.

The girl was admitted to hospital for an operation on her left eye. Brown had told the police he “got mad” and wanted to I

scare the girl. He thought the shot would hit the boat but he did not want to hurt her. He knew the capability of a shotgun, said Sergeant Aylward.

Brown was convicted and remanded in custody to December 7 for a probation report and sentence. Because of the seriousness of the offence, the Magistrate said, he was not prepared to allow bail. Counsel (Mr J. K. Fuimoana) had earlier called for a remand without plea, but after an adjournment Brown admitted the offence. He reserved submissions.