Judge to sum up today in trial of Hokitika man on charge of murder of wife

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 4

Judge to sum up today in trial of Hokitika man on charge of murder of wife

Greymouth reporter Mr Justice Heron will sum up in the High Court at Greymouth this morning on the third day of the trial of Graeme Allan Climo, aged 32, who is charged with the murder of his wife, Lynnette Barbara Climo, at Southside, Hokitika, on March 12 last. The defence claimed yesterday that the shooting did not constitute murder, in that Climo had no intention of killing his wife. Climo, a psychiatric hospital assistant, is represented by Mr K. N. Hampton, of Christchurch, with him Mr S. J. Hembrow, of Greymouth. Mr G. K. Panckhurst, of Christchurch, is the Crown prosecutor, with him Mr D. L. Carruthers, of Greymouth. Counsel gave their final addresses to the jury yesterday afternoon. Detective Sergeant Alistair Murray Smith, the officer in charge of the case, said yesterday that the safety catch on the rifle was in the “on” position when recovered in the house.

The house itself was in a rural setting and some distance from neighbours. The witness produced interior and exterior plans showing the path of bullet fragments. Dr Patrick Robert Kelleher, a Christchurch pathologist, who carried out a post-mortem examination on the body of Mrs Climo, said that a bullet wound entrance was located above the right eye adjacent to the bridge of the nose, and the face distorted. A laceration extended down the left ear and scalp at the neck, and there were severe fractures of the skull. The substance of the brain was “mashed

up. In his opinion, death was caused instantaneously. The evidence of Constable M. L. Hennessey was read to the jury. He said that he assisted a funeral director in removing Mrs Climo’s body from the house, and accompanied it to Christchurch where he attended the post-mortem examination. He then returned to Greymouth, and took the rifle and bullets to the

police armourer in Wellington.

Detective W. R. Thiele, of the Greymouth C. 1.8., interviewed the defendant on the night of the incident at the Hokitika police station. In a statement to him, Climo said that he and his wife had dropped their children off at his sister-in-law’s on their way to the meeting of the Jim Beam Club at the Club Hotel. “We picked the kids up again about 9.30 p.m., and we drove straight home. We put the kids to bed, and I went to bed. I asked Lynnette when she was going to bed, and she said I could take as much time as I liked as I was ‘playing around’ at the hospital. She was talking about pissing off and leaving me.” Climo had said he had got out of bed, and went and lifted the rifle down, and flicked the lever. “She kept carrying on, and said I’d be too gutless to use the rifle. “The rifle just went off. Lynnette was sitting at the table, and she just flopped back into the chair. “I dropped the blooming gun. I thought, ‘Christ, what will I do now?’ ” the statement said. Climo had said he then telephoned the police at Hokitika, who called back again, Sergeant R. J. O’Connell telling him that a car was being sent out, and kept talking to him. When the police car arrived, he was told to carry his daughter outside and meet the car. Climo said he had not used the rifle in question for two years before that night. When asked how he had taken the rifle down from the rack, Climo had told witness, “I got a chair or stool to stand on. I keep the rifles high so that the kids can’t get at them.” Detective Thiele said that at that time it was thought erroneously that two bullets had been fired. However, the accused had said he remembered only one shot. “Everything I’ve told you is bloody gospel,” he had said. Of his domestic situation, Climo had said his wife accused him of “playing around, but I’ve never done anything like that,” he had said.

Mr Hembrow, in opening the case for the defence, said that it was not a murder. It was a tragic and shocking incident but Climo had had no intention of murdering his.wife, only of frightening her. His first reaction was to telephone the police. “We have learned from Constable Dawson that he was shaken and shocked. His statement was one of a person terrified and frightened.” Debra Jane Keats, a sister of Mrs Climo, said that in January this year she was riding horses for Neil Coulbeck, a horse trainer at Leithfield in Canterbury. Also living on the property was Maurice Thornley, a jockey. Her sister had not telephoned her, but she had seen letters arrive, addressed to Mr Thornley in her sister’s handwriting. On one occasion, she recognised her sister’s voice on the telephone, asking to speak to Maurice Thornley. To Mr Panckhurst, witness said she had known Mr Thornley for some years, as he had stayed at her father’s hotel for Hokitika race meetings. Her sister, Lynnette, had been friendly with Mr Thornley and gone out with him before her marriage to Graeme Climo. Bronwyn Lee Foster, of Kokatahi, a friend of Mrs Climo, said that on March 7 both of them had travelled to Greymouth to visit an elderly hospital patient. While in Greymouth, Mrs Climo had made a telephone call from the Chief Post Office, and they had spoken to Mr Coulbeck at Leithfield. She had been previously aware that Mrs Climo had been writing letters at work to Mr Thornley. On one occasion witness had addressed an envelope for her. Mrs Climo was “very secretive” about the letters. In early March, they had discussed going on holiday together later in the month. Witness was to have attended a race meeting in Christchurch first, and then was to have been joined there by Mrs Climo before they “travelled south.” James William Bull, a supervisor at Seaview Psychiatric Hospital, said he regarded Climo as an “excellent nurse,” and “kind

and considerate to the patients.” He was of a quiet disposition and reliable. Climo would have worked more night shifts than usual because of the staffing situation. The A or night shift was from 10.30 p.m. until 7 a.m. The principal ward in which he worked contained 30 to 35 subnormal or psychopaedic patients. In addition, callbacks on days off had increased for staff members because of shortages. Earlier this year, Climo had asked for and been granted a full shift — four days — off duty. Witness thought Climo might have been under some stress, because he had said that if he did not get the time off he might have to resign. To Mr Panckhurst, witness said he had no reason to doubt that Climo’s work until the time of the shooting was adequate. Peter Joseph Ryan, a psychiatric nurse, described Climo as “good value” as a nursing assistant. In January, after Climo had had a few days off, they had got into conversation on his first night back. During the conversation, Climo had said he was having trouble at home with his wife. June Avis Robinson, the Maori Affairs community officer for the West Coast and Buller, and the accused’s aunt, said he was a caring person, always willing to help others. “His catch phrase was, ‘lf you want a hand give me a yell’,” she said. The Rev. William George James Middleton, parish priest of Temuka, and formerly of Hokitika for nine years until February this year, said that he had come to know the Climo and Keats families well, although they were not among his parishioners. Graeme Climo used to assist in various fund-raising community projects. He found him amenable, amiable, and generous with his time. “A lot of the projects were fun, and he joined in the spirit of them.” However, because of shift work, he was not as readily available in the latter part of last year.