Accused man ‘so drunk’

Press, 8 April 1988, Page 1

Accused man ‘so drunk’

By

Neil Clarkson

A rabbit-shooting accident was behind the death of a South Canterbury man near the New South Wales town) of Wee Waa, the police! were told yesterday. The explanation’ was given by a man, aged 21,1 who was arrested onj a charge of the manslaughter of Leslie Francis Tree, aged 39. I The man was picked up for questioning in a raid at 2 a.m. yesterday on the Livermores Caravan Park in Wee Waa, where Mr Tree had been living. Sergeant Wayne Bottom described the arrested man as an associate of Mr Tree. He said the man had been drinking with Mr Tree on Monday, the day he

was seen alive. ! A .22 rifle allegedly [used in the shooting was found yesterday afternoon in the Namoi River. I Up to '3O searchers' scoured scrub round Wee Waa yesterday but found no trace of Mr Tree’s body, which they believe i was burned I and dumped, i ; Sergeant Bottom said [- the man, who will appear in the Narrabri Court today, had been helping! the police in [their efforts to find the body. [ _ “The! two of them had been drinking very, very heavily and allegedly then went out rabbit shooting,” Sergeant Bottom said.

“This is when Mr Tree was allegedly shot. hi I ■ . 1 • •

“The fellowi charged hasn’t got a clue. He can’t even remember where the body was. They were so drunk. That is what the problem is.” Sergeant Bottom said the police had a' “general idea” where Mr Tree’s body was dumped. The [man helping the police cannot remember the exact location!

(“You have got to appreciate the magnitude; of the country. A man could travel 50km or 60km in the course of a rabbit shooting trip during an evening,” he said.

[The search, . however, was concentrating on an area about 3km from Wee Waa.

The police began their invesI r

tigation after a Wee Waa resident, Mr Clive Dewson, found Mr Tree’s Holden utility driven into the rubbish tip on the town’s northern fringe. An attempt had been made to set it alight and human blood was found in the tray, along with a broken set of upper dentures.

Sergeant Bottom said no-one else was sought in connection with the death. ’ " ' Mr Tree was originally from Henley, near Dunedin, and was an apprentice jockey at Wingatui.

He rode in Otago and Southland and trained in partnership with Mr Jim Crawford, of Riverton.