Hamilton ‘laird’ convicted

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 8

Hamilton ‘laird’ convicted

PA Hamilton Even if the “Laird of Hamilton” were possessed by a four-million-year-old spirit on the witching hour of census, he should have filled out the form correctly, a judge says.

The “intention” to avoid filling out the form was the important point, Judge Simpson said in the District Court at Hamilton on Thursday. He fined “the laird”, $125. Laird McGillicuddy of Hamilton, “chief of the Clan McGillicuddy, arch enemy of Alfs Imperial Army, also known as Graeme William Cairns,” was found guilty of neglecting to supply the census particulars required and failing to rewrite them on request Cairns said he was possessed of a spirit and was in a state of automatism on March 4, 1986, and ceased to exist as Graeme William Cairns, the person required to fill out the census form at midnight.

“For 24 hours I was possessed by the spirit of a deceased Australopith-

icus afarensis,” he told the Court. Fossils of Australopithicus afarensis, aged about four million years, showed a small brain area. Cairns said he could not have filled out the form as the spirit was unable to read, write or communicate. He invoked the spirit while, stripped to a loin cloth, he lay bound and gagged in Garden Place. Friend P. Bagg, known in Court as Peter James Caldwell, said he was with “the laird” in Garden Place. Cairns was possessed by the spirit, as he did not respond even when offered a large amount of whisky. During the time Cairns was in Garden Place he was uncontrollable, fed on leaves and dirt offered him and. found some bananas in a nearby tree, Caldwell said. :

“He intended to put himself in a trance so a spirit would take over,” he said.

Cairns admitted he intentionally invoked the spirit to avoid the census.