‘Wife stabbed policeman’

Press, 8 July 1982, Page 4

‘Wife stabbed policeman’

PA - Wellington A police constable’s wife, charged with grievously wounding him. had said after the alleged attack: “Have I killed the bastard? ... He puts on a smiling face for the public, but at home it js hell,” a Wellington jury heard yesterday. Suzanne Linda Faulkner, aged 32, made the statements to another policeman, the District Court at Wellington was told. Faulkner has denied that on ■ December 26, 1981, at Martinborough, with ’ intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Phillip Thomas Faulkner, her husband, she injured him. She faces an alternative charge of injuring him in such circumstances that if death had been, caused she would have been guilty of manslaughter. When her husband, called by the prosecution, entered the witness-box yesterday before Judge Hobbs and a jury he declined to give evidence against his wife.

Answering the Crown prosecutor Mr J. H. C. Larsen, Mr Faulkner said he wished to take a husband’s privilege under section 5 of the Evi-

pence Act, not to testify against his spouse. He said he had retired from the police.

Mr Larsen said that on Boxing Day last year, Mrs Faulkner lived at Martinborough with her husband, who was the local police constable, and their four young children. It seemed there had been “some stress” between them for some time and more particularly on Boxing Day, Mr Larsen said. The Crown contended that there had been an argument and that Mrs Faulkner stabbed her husband in the chest. The injury was “quite serious.” Mr Faulkner was taken to Masterton Hospital. A doctor would say that the wound penetrated to the lung on the. left side, and that there were cuts to the four fingers of the left hand. “It was fortunate in this case that Constable Faulk-, ner, as he then was, was not killed,” Mr Larsen said. “This was close to. the heart.”

He said Mrs Faulkner had indicated quite clearly that she had strong feelings against-her husband and that she had done what she did, deliberately. Georgina Marama Harris

gave evidence that she had not known Mr Faulkner was visiting her husband when Mrs Faulkner telephoned on Boxing Day to ask if he was there. He had been outside talking to her husband. Cross-examined by Mr Roy Stacey, for the accused, witness said her husband and Mr Faulkner were very good friends. Asked if Mr Faulkner was a very good friend of hers, Mrs Harris said, “We get on.” The witness collapsed during further questioning. When the trial resumed, Mr Stacey

said he had no further questions. The evidence of Constable Alan John Wickens, who is overseas, was read to the court. He said that Mrs Faulkner had said to him at the police house: “Have I killed the bastard? I hope I have. He is an animal.” She had also said, “The bastard was with that Georgina this afternoon. He was supposed to take the kids on. a picnic. You don’t know with it is like. You really don’t. He puts on a smiling face for the public but at home it is hell. He rapes me. He rapes me.”