Man to face murder trial

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 22

Man to face murder trial

PA Greymouth A Cobden man has been committed for trial in the High Court at Greymouth on a charge of murdering his estranged wife in January. Selwyn Thomas Lindbom, aged 41, pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Jean Beatrice Lindbom in her home and not guilty to the attempted murder of Patrick John O’Neill on the same date at a depositions hearing in the District Court at Greymouth.

The defendant was remanded in court for a High Court trial date.

The prosecution said that between 9 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. on January 8, the defendant went to the

house of his estranged wife and found her in bed with another man. He returned to his own house and got three rounds of shotgun ammunition.

The Court was told Lindbom went back to his former wife’s home and gained entrance through an unlocked bedroom window. He took the shotgun from the wardrobe of a spare bedroom.

On entering the other bedroom Lindbom pointed it at the bed but misfired. A struggle took place. He hit his wife and fired at O’Neill, the prosecution said.

Lindbom and his wife then moved out into the hall, where the fatal shot was fired.