GAME OF BLUFF

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 190, 8 May 1943, Page 6

GAME OF BLUFF

Charge Of Attempted Murder Results

The plea that iStuart Wallis Grame Vane Walker, milk roundsman, aged 32, was bluffing when, saying that he was going to kill his children and himself, he placed his infant daughter in a (hath of water, was ,put forward Iby his counsel in the Supreme Court. Wellington, yesterday when he was charged 1 with attempting to murder the 'baby, or, alternatively, with assaulting it. During alO minutes retirement, the jury found him guilty of assault - only. 1 ? • The Crown .prosecutor, Mr. W. 11. Cunningham, said* that accused lived with his wife and four children at Telford Terrace, Oriental Bay. There was a baby, aged four (months, (Nancy, aged two, and two elder children. In addition, a niece of accused, Joyce Ida Walker, ..aged 20, lived with them, and it appeared that accused was enamoured of her. One day when she came home from work she found him in her (bedroom,_ and .he brought up the subject of their relationship, which she had attempted to break. He asked her when she would give him some affection, and to quieten him she said she would’ give him' a little. Later she found him in her room tearing his hair. ’ Then he’took a knife from the kitchen, where she was, and sharpened it, saying he'would “do' the job this time,” and later still she found him in the bathroom with the baby immersed, except for its face, in the (bath. lie had said he would (kill his children and selfCounsel for accused did not call evidence, but said the evidence that had been called for the .prosecution showed that accused was not a fiend incarnate who had attempted to kill his own children, but a man who had bluffed that he would do so to impress his niece. He had endeavoured to revive their former relationship and, on his advances being rejected, he had gone through a series of bluffs, each more dramatic than tbo previous one. When rolling about and tearing his hair did not impress the girl,he went through a pantomime with a knife, and when that did not disturb her he said he would kill his family. Had he intended to drown the baby he could have done so in a moment, but did not, and when his niece came into the bathroom he let her take it without a struggle. Mr. Justice (Smith remanded accused till the end of the session for sentence.