Sons tell of grappling with intruder after hallway attack

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 30

Sons tell of grappling with intruder after hallway attack

Two young men gave evidence in the District Court yesterday of grappling in the lounge of their home in the early morning of September 17 with a man whom they already thought had killed their father, a church pastor, in an attack with a broad-bladed knife.

Evidence during the preliminary hearing was that the defendant, Patrick James Burrowes, a manic-depressive schizophrenic, had wanted to “get back at society,” through the pastor. Burrowes, aged 36, a beneficiary, was committed for trial by jury in the High Court on the three charges he faced. They were of attempting to murder Peter McCallum Morrow, aged 57, and wounding his two sons, David Leonard Morrow, aged 19, and John Andrew Clive Morrow, aged 20, in an attempt to facilitate his escape from the scene of a crime. Dr J. F. Mann and Mrs C. M. Holmes, Justices of the Peace, remanded Burrowes in the custody of Sunnyside Hospital to December 15, pending his trial on a date to be fixed.

Counsel, Mr G. H. Nation, reserved his defence.

Sergeant J. E. Dwyer prosecuted.

Evidence in the case showed that Mr Morrow sustained three wounds, which penetrated to the bone.

A part of a knucklebone was an exhibit in the case. Mr Morrow still suffers substantial loss of use of an arm.

One son suffered a fractured skull.

During Mr Morrow’s evidence, the defendant slumped forward in his seat and the Court was adjourned for 17 minutes. Mr Morrow said he was the senior pastor of the New Life Centre in Majestic House, Manchester Street. He lived at a church property in Thorrington Street, Cashmere. He had lived in Christchurch for 25 years and had been involved with the church throughout this time.

Burrowe’s began attending the church in 1972. He recalled discussions about Burrowes being a homosexual.

He did not recall any special advice he might have given Burrowes. Over the years he had been approached by a. number of homosexuals seeking help, through him and the church.

He had tried to give them the encouragement to overcome their problems.

Burrowes stayed as a member of the church for a number of years. He left the church at one stage, but returned a few times, not regularly. Before the attack, ne had last seen Burrowes at a church production in June, Mr Morrow said. He did not have cause to believe at that time that there was any bad feeling towards him. On the evening of September 16-17 he was, at home with his three sons, John, David, and Paul. In the early morning he was awakened by David and went to the door.

Approaching the front door, he saw a man wearing a balaclava.

The man said a few words, then pulled out a “mechete knife” from behind him.

Mr Morrow held up his hand to protect his face and then felt some "slashing” at him. He ran up the hallway into a lounge, and the slashing at him continued.

He somehow made his way back towards the front door and was aware of slash marks all over his neck, head, face and hands.

He lapsed in and out of consciousness at times, and recalled clearly some parts of the attack, but not others.

He recalled lying on the floor at the door, badly injured.

Mr Morrow detailed his injuries.

These included a cut across his face from his ear to his mouth, a cut close to his right eye, extending to near his ear, a deep gash near the top of his head, other head lacerations, a deep wound in his neck, and slash

wounds across his right hand and wrist He said his left hand and arm, which were still in a. brace, were still very much damaged.

He suffered slash wounds to the upper arm and forearm and across the back of his hand.

His little fingers were useless, with the nerves severed.

He said the knuckle of his little finger was found on a carpet at the scene of the attack.

Cross-examined, Mr Morrow said he recalled talking to Burrowes about the homosexual problem. Asked if, as a Christian, he counselled persons that homosexual -. actions should not be indulged in, he said "it would not be a thing we would advocate.”

He said he would accept that there were different attitudes toward homosexuality, and different ways of dealing with the problem. He agreed also that there were people in the community who sought to help homosexuals in a way which was different from his. Mr Morrow said he accepted that he would attempt to counsel such people by attempting to get them to control any homosexual impulses or urges they might have. He could not recall to mind having any counselling session with Burrowes.

His contact with him this year had only been in the congregation. He did not recall any animosity or anger from Burrowes towards him. ’ He said the reason he had talked with Burrowes was that he sensed Burrowes had a problem, so he just talked with him to discuss his problems if he wished to share them. The witness said he could think of no rational explanation of why he was attacked.

Nothing he recalled from the contacts he had with the defendant caused him to expect him to do what he did. Detective Constable C. F. Stokes gave evidence of interviewing Burrowes who said the church had ruined peoples lives.

They thought they were so special and were bornagain Christians. He said he just woke up and decided to get back at society. He did not plan this, but just woke up and-decided to get back at society and this seemed to be the best way to’do it He took his backpack and a knife from the kitchen, and rode a bicycle to Mr Morrow’s house.

In a written statement, Burrowes said he began living in a house with seven persons in Pages Road in 1972.

They were members of the New Life Centre and spoke to him about the Lord.

Eventually he became converted, and a bornagain Christian. He met Mr Morrow during this time, and approached him "because I was a homosexual and the church was against this.”

He asked Mr Morrow to keep it a secret as if others found out he would be an outcast.

,Mr Morrow suggested he attend Bible school, but one of the others at the house where he stayed advised him not to. In the next two years he gave up homosexual activities.

Mr Morrow was always up front, always making demands and telling us to convert people, Burrowes’ statement continued.

. He wrote to a person he knew who was a Catholic nun, to try to convert her. She did not reply. He thought that had ruined their relationship. During this time tie looked up to Mr Morrow as a great man, like a prophet. “The church began to take me over.”

Eventually he “gave in” and resumed homosexual relations. This made him feel guilty. Mr Morrow was always up front and in control.

In late 1979 he met an Anglican vicar who told him that being a homosexual was all right.

He left the New Life Centre after this.

People told him they thought he had left the church because, he was a homosexual. He believed Mr Morrow had told people this. Later, he again met up with some Christians and he became converted again. In November last year he joined the New Life Centre in Lyttelton. He could feel Mr Morrow’s "presence."

Since living in Pages Road he had felt people looked down on him. He felt stressed.

He intended going to a doctor to get treatment as he was a manic-depres-sive schizophrenic, ' but had no money. . He felt he was going to crack. He felt he wanted to hit back, but did not know who or how to do it. The defendant’s statement then related how he awoke at 4.15 a.m., with

the first thought in his head to get Pastor Morrow.

He did not know what he wanted to do to him. He wanted to give him a fright and make him leave New Zealand.

He put the knife in his pack and cycled to Mr Morrow’s house, taking half anhour. David Morrow answered the door and then called Mr Morrow. The other son, John, also came to the door.

“I thought I’d been sprung,” the statement continued.

He pulled out the knife and pointed it at Mr Morrow. The two sons moved in from the side. He could not get a decent swing at Mr Morrow, only striking him with the end of the knife. The two sons said “get him,” and he could not get a descent swing at them. He managed to hit them a few times.

They then pinned him to the floor ahd took his machete. They bled all over him. One son called the police and he was pinned down in the lounge until the police arrived. The two sons, David, a building cadet, and John, a university student, gave evidence of the attack. David Morrow said he answered the door and when he returned after calling his father, Burrows had on a balaclava. Burrowes took a knife from his backpack and ran after his father, swinging the knife.

The witness said he followed, < and called his brother.

In the lounge he tackled Burrowes, who was attacking his father. J

Burrowes hit him on the head. His brother was also hit on his head.

Their father staggered out into the hallway. : The two sons then'grappled with Burrowes, and David Morrow wrested the knife from him and took it into the hall. He saw his father and thought he was dead. He called to his brother that their father was dead. John Morrow called him back to help subdiie Burrowes. , His evidence was that while he was lying with his vest over Burrowes face, Burrowes said he could not breathe.

The witness thought he might suffocate him, so released his grip. The police arrived as they had Burrowes subdued.

David Morrow said he sustained a fractured skull from a cut to his head, and a cut to an upper arm. John Morrow said he suffered cuts to an arm and above an eye, and two cuts to the back of his head.

Both were in hospital for several days.

Both said in crossexamination they were injured while Burrowes was attacking their father.