MURDER CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 104, 4 May 1936, Page 10

MURDER CHARGES

DUNEDIN SESSIONS

{By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, This Day. "The criminal calendar for this session discloses two charges 'of murder," said Mr. Justice Kennedy in addressing the Grand Jury at the opening of the criminal sessions. A young man, Stanley Davidson, was charged with murdering his mother and father, and a farmer, Hugh Neil Gunn, was charged with murdering a neighbour. In the first case, said his Honour, the accused, was living with his parents in a Dunedin suburb. On the morning of the fatal occurrence the rest of the family had gone out and there remained at home the accused and his mother and father. A neighbour saw the young man striking an elderly man at the back door and a woman running away screaming. Later the dead bodies of the accused's parents were found at the back of the house mutilated with an axe and the accused's clothes were spattered with blood. The Grand Jury was not concerned with any possible defence of insanity. .

The charge of murder against a young man in the country arose in different circumstances, , his Honour continued. There had been considerable contention between two farmers and their households in regard, to a disoute over boundary fences. A member of one of the families was taking a horse and cart through land in occupation of the other farmer and was stopped. The person driving the cart went away and came back with his two brothers. It might be shown that the farmer was endeavouring to prevent the hor.se going through the gate and one of the young men struck the farmer a blow with a strong manuka stick, fracturing his skull.

Other charges on the calendar are one of sheep-stealing and one of breaking and entering and theft.

Le\yis Daniel Ferris, who appeared for sentence, was admitted to twelve months' probation for carnal knowledge.