Evidence on shooting in Marshland Road

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33539, 21 May 1974, Page 3

Evidence on shooting in Marshland Road

The trial of .James David Wilson, aged 21. a lubrication bay attendant, on charges of murdering Wayne Hart-McEwen, aged 22. and of assaulting John Bernard Hall, a taxi-driver, while armed with a shotgun, with intent to rob, began in the Supreme Court yesterday before Mr Justice Roper and a jury.

The trial is expected: to take two days. Messrs N. W. Williamson and G. E. Langham appearj ( for the Crown, and Messrs ;< ;B. McClelland and P. H. B.; ; jHall appear for Wilson, who!; Ihas pleaded not guilty to; ( ‘both charges. it Mr Hall, a taxi-driver, jj :said that about 3.50 a.m, on; ’Sunday, February 17. he was!; .sent to pick up a fare near!] 448 Marshland Road. He saw| £ a man with two suitcases :■ ; standing on the side of the | jroad. He had a scarf around his face and was wearing a t white toweling hat. ] He stopped the car beside ( the man and left the ■ motor < running and the headlights t ion full and went to the lug- t >gage rack at the rear of the < | car. The man said that he t l was going to Kaiapoi and f [that his car had broken | Idown around the corner. “HIT ON HEAD” 8 When he put the first, case ■. on the rack, it felt empty, Mr ‘ Hall said. As he went to pick ■ up the second case a loud male voice from the bushes on the left side of the catsaid: “Take it steady. I’ve c :got a shotgun and it will \ make a bloody mess of you.” c A car approached and Mr c I Hall asked if he could move his taxi off the road. He was s told to stay where he was a and to bend over the rack as t if he were doing up the strap, i After the car passed he was \ told to step back and when e he did that he was hit on I the back of the head. He did a not see what he was struck i with. \ Mr Hall said that he ran r towards the driver’s door of the taxi to call for help on ' the radio. He reached t through the window with t

[his right arm to get the* ■microphone. SHOT IN SIDE The front passenger's side ’door was opened and Mr Hal! ■said that he saw the face of ia man and the barrel of a' 'shotgun. The man had light: ,'coloured hair; the barrel oft I the shotgun was held across: ihis face. ' “The face was withdrawn !and 1 heard a loud shot and Ifelt wounded in my left [arm and side,” Mr Hall said. !“At the time 1. heard the bang I did not see the gun at all. “I ran across the road to| the front door of 448 Marsh-; land Road. 1 tried to push it : open with my arm but it was) shut. I pushed my right fih; through the glass pane and; unlatched the door. I kept: calling for help but received! no answer. I went to the tele-[ phone in the hall and dialed! 111.” Mr Hall said that he had $lB in notes in his pocket' and some coins in a changeholder on the front seat. His! partner’s change-holder was: in the glovebox. OPERATION He was admitted to Christchurch Hospital where he: was operated on, and was: discharged the following Fri-i day. To Mr McClelland, Mr Hall: said that he had begun work! at 3 a.m. He agreed that if! the man in the bushes had; intended to shoot him he! would have been a plain target when he was standing behind the car. The same applied when he was leaning in the car window when he was reaching for the microphone. Witness was not sure whether the voice from the bushes said: “It will make a bloody mess of you” or “It

would make a bloody mess' of you.” MEDICAL EVIDENCE Dr P. R. Kelleher, a path-; ologist, said that at the re-! quest of the Coroner he made' a post-mortem examination! of the body of Mr Hart-Mc-Ewen. The heart had been-

' ruptured by shotgun pellets , and multiple holes were present in the heart. ; Death would have occurred j within a very short time be- | cause of severe haemorrhage. lln his opinion the cause of death was a gunshot wound of the chest, said Dr Kelleher.