Seaman charged with murder

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 3

Seaman charged with murder

(From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, February 24. A Japanese seaman died from stab wounds inflicted aboard the squid-fishing vessel Yashimaru No. 3 while she was about 30 miles off the New Zealand coast last night.

The vessel made an emergency dash for Nelson, but the seaman, Kiyotaka Hamaguchi, aged 35, a married man, was found to be dead on arrival at the port. A seaman was taken into

custody by the Nelson police later, and this morning, Junichi Ukise, aggd 22, was remanded in custody until March 4 when he appeared before Mr J. W. P. Watts, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, charged with murder. He was represented by Mr A. B. Beatson. No plea was entered. It is not yet known if further legal proceedings will be taken in New Zealand, since the vessel was outside territorial waters when the incident occurred. Ukise could not be tried in New Zealand without the consent of the Japanese Government. The case is being referred to the Attorney-General (Dr Finlay). ‘Claims vindicated.’— The decision of Mr Justice Roper; in the case of Derek Bunn,' who was injured in a dem-; onstration at Mount John Observatory in 1972, vindi- ■' cated the claims of police! brutality made by the now-1 defunct Washdyke-Mt John Committee, a spokesman for the committee, Mr M. Hor-' ton, said in a statement! yesterday. The committee' organised the demonstration in March. 1972.