Manslaughter charge after stabbing

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 10

Manslaughter charge after stabbing

PA Dunedin A young Alexandra woman said in the Supreme Court at Dunedin that on the evening a man was fatally stabbed she heard a female voice saying “Bill, stop,” or “Bill don’t," and then she saw a youth chasing another person with a knife in his hand. The witness. Jennifer Margaret King, said she and a friend were walking on Tarbert Street, Alexandra. after the cinema closed, when she saw a fight across the road, and heard the female voice. Miss King said she rec-

ognised one person, Bill Davis, and when she looked back across the street, it was Davis she saw with the knife in his hand, chasing the other person. He was holding the knife in front of him and the other man was running away, she said. Miss King was giving evidence during the second day of the trial of William Spencer Davis, aged 18, who is charged with manslaughter as a result of the death of Charles Douglas Robinson from a knife wound on June 9. Mr Robinson died after an incident in Tarbert Street about 10.15 p.m. when he and Davis were involved in a fight. Davis admits causing Mr Robinson’s death, but says he used the knife in self-defence. Mr M. M. Mitchell, with him Mr R. P. Bates, is prosecuting. Davis is represented bv Mr M. R. D. Guest, with him Mr J. C. D. Guest. Miss King said she saw’ Mr Robinson running away from Davis across the road towards where she was standing. He was leaning over holding his left side, and ran past her and her friend into the Golden Cobweb Restaurant.

Cross-examined by Mr Guest, witness said she did not see the stabbing, and that it must have happened while she was looking away, before her at•mtion was drawn back to the fight by the sound of a rubbish drum being dropped. Cindy Elizabeth Winters. who accompanied Miss King, described seeing the fight, then looking away and looking back again when she heard the sound of the rubbish tin. She saw Mr Robinson backing away from Davis, holding his right hand over his chest and his left hand out in front as if trying to protect himself. He was going backwards. Davis was following and Mr Robinson then turned and ran across the road. She saw Davis had a knife in his hand and was holding it in front of him. going after Mr Robinson. As Mr Robinson came across to them he was slightly stooped. He said something to the two girls and then went into the restaurant. They followed. The witness agreed she did not actually see the stabbing. She presumed it happened at the time the drum dropped or before them. The case is continuing.