Woman stabbed by ‘frenzied assailant’

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 6

Woman stabbed by ‘frenzied assailant’

Nelson reporter

Multiple stab wounds suffered by a woman at Anatokl last March suggested “a psychotic or frenzied assailant,” a pathologist told a jury in the High Court at Nelson yesterday. Later, under crossexamination, Dr Matthew Stephen Clark, said he stood by this view expressed in his' post-mor-tem report, and said he would also add the word “panic.” Dr Clark was giving evidence in the trial of Darrin Francis , Lloyd, aged. 17, unemployed, who has . pleaded, not guilty to a charge of murdering Barbara Leigh. Hutchinson at Anatokl, near Takaka, on March 14 this year.

The trial is before the Chief Justice, Sir Ronald Davison.

Mr W. R. Flaus is appearing for the Crown and Mr C. N. Tuohy for Lloyd. More than half of the Crown’s 25 witnesses have

now been called and the trial is expected to end on Thursday.-' ...J ■ ’ Evidence 5 given on the first day related mainly to formal, matters, such as the 'documenting of articles taken 1 from the scene, the production of photographs and evidence as to Mrs Hutchinson’s known movements on the day of her death. Penelope Jane. Harris, of One Spec. Creek, said Mrs Hutchinson had called at her home that morning for some tangelos, with which she was going to. make marmalade. She left about ■noon,; and witness said she saw Mrs Hutchinson’s car drive past about 1.30 p.m.

Several witnesses yesterday described finding Mrs Hutchinson’s body on the track leading up to her home, or their observations after the body had been found.

Sarah Lindsay Homibfooke said she had invited Mrs Hutchinson for an evening meal on March 14. When she did not arrive she telephoned her home but got no answer.

She said she felt Mrs . Hutchinson might have '-gone to another person’s place, and because of the very bad weather had not returned home and had not been able to contact witness.

The next morning she asked her brother to look into the Hutchinson farm while he was on a walk, because she was concerned about Mrs Hutchinson. She learned a little later of Mrs Hutchinson’s death, and when she first saw her thought she might have been trampled by a horse. Mrs Hutchinson

was lying-along the path and one of her boots was lying close by. Alison Rosemary Harris, of Anatoki, said that when she learned of Mrs Hutchinson’s death she went to the farm. She could see no evidence of a horse having trampled Mrs Hutchinson.

When she saw her, Mrs Hutchinson’s tee shirt was pulled down to the top of her jeans. The jeans were open at the top and the slide fastener was pulled halfway down and stnck. She lifted the tee shirt top and saw the stab wounds.

Constable Anthony Paul Cunningham gave evidence of being called to the scene, and described the steps he took to cover, the body. On the Monday he went to Wrightsons’ store in Takaka and took possession of a sheath knife on display. To Mr Tuohy, witness said he had known the accused for three or four years of his 9^ -year stay in Takaka. The accused had never to his knowledge given any indications of violent or aggressive behaviour. Dr Arthur John Pearson gave evidence of attending the body at the scene, and of examining Lloyd the next afternoon at Takaka. He saw one or two small scratches bn accused’s neck, which appeared to have been received in the previous 48 hours. Lloyd was neither excited or depressed. Witness in cross examination referred to the case history of accused, and visits accused had made to him as a patient over several years.

He also referred to a

report made by Dr Hayter of a : visit accused had made to her on March 22, 1984. J ,

Accused’s eyesight was not - 'good for : distant vision, and even with his spectacles was only slightly improved. - . Dr Clark said Mrs Hutchinson’s body received 30 stab wounds, some of- them deep and some superficial. One of the most lethal blows, by a knife he determined to be about 3 inches long, was to the right side of the neck. This was probably struck from behind or from the side.

In all, eight of the wounds were deep and were potentially fatal. There was no evidence of sexual violation. Some of the wounds could have been inflicted while she was dying, he said. The ' fact. that the wounds were “multiple, and inflicted over the back as well. Indicated a homicide. “The natural conclusion in a multiple stabbing of this kind is to suggest a psychotic or frenzied assailant. As none of the injuries were to the groin or breasts in particular, this would be against a perverted sexual motive, although the arrangement of clothing when the deceased was. found, with the broken, jammed zipfly and the pulled up jersey, might suggest a sexual motive,” said Dr Clark, reading from his report. He was closely crossexamined by Mr Tuohy on this paragraph. He agreed that there was nothing else to suggest sexual motivation apart from the clothing and jammed zip.