SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 17, 21 January 1938, Page 15

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

ADUNEDIN CASE

MAN COMMITTED FOIVTRIAL

tßy Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, January 20. A story involving allegations of attempted murder and attempted suicide on Saddle Hill, near Mosgiel, on the night of November 29 was told in the Magistrate's Court before Mr. H. W. Bundle, S.M., when lengthy evidence was heard with respect to charges preferred against Wilfred Richard John Curry, aged 31.

After hearing the evidence of 13 witnesses, including that of the. woman said to have been the victim of an attack, the accused, who pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence was committed to the Supreme Court for

One of tne witnesses called by the prosecution, Alexander Arthur Lawson, mill hand, Mosgiel, said he was riding his motor-cycle from Dunedin to Mosgiel on the night of. November. 29. When about half-way up the Dunedin side of Saddle Hill he noticed a small car on the road. He saw a girl running down the hill and waving her arms, indicating him to stop. He could see blood on,her face, and ho stopped his cycle a few yards' away from the car. A man rushed at him. He had a bar with which he was going to.hit witness. Raising his: right arm1 to shield his head, witness received a blow on the forearm. Witness then ran in the direction the girl had taken. The man followed, and witness heard the sound of a shot. Witness .tripped and fell, and the accused passed him. Further shots were fired, and what he took to be a bullet thudded into the bank behind him. He ran back to his motor-cycle, intending to go for help. He tried to stop two cars, but they passed on. A third car stopped and the occupant helped the girl into the vehicle.' They and witness went to the Mosgiel police station and then on to a doctor. , • , . . j i WOMAN'S EVIDENCE. Evidence was given; by the young woman, who said she met the accused j on the afternoon of November 29 last,: when he offered to take her to the pictures. She met him at 7.30 p.m. by arrangement. The accused was driving a car which witness thought he owned; Previously the accused had asked her if she could drive a car, to which she replied that she could a little,, but not very well. When witness found they were not; going to, the pictures she asked the: accused :to; stop while she telephoned -to her .home. Curry replied that if would be.all right, as they would not be long. They proceeded on to the Main South road, and the pair changed seats so that witness could have a driving' lesson; . At Henley bottles of lemonade .were procured, and these were drunk in the car. Witness then made ah. unsuccessful attempt to turn the car, whereupon the accused took his place- in the, driver's seat. After going. a little further south the car was being turned when the engine stalled and the accused suggested they should walk back to Henley, as he did not think the car would

go. ' ■. ■ ' Eventually, witness continued, the car was started again, and, coming down a hill, it was speeding so much that witness asked, to be allowed to drive. This she did, but as the result of something the accused said witness stopped. Curry then got into the back of the. car. Hcseemeda little agitated. Witness reached over the back of the I front' seat to retrieve her purse and gloves, which were in the back of the car. She then felt a blow on the back of the head, followed by a second one, and as she could see another blow coming she lifted her left arm and warded it off. She, then endeavoured to leave the car, but was stopped. However, she,pulled away and stepped out at the other side, and, seeing a light from a motor-cycle, she stepped into the middle of the road to hail it. KAN DOWN THE HILL. The accused was then approaching, witness said, so she ran down the hill. She saw the acused stricking at the rider of the motor-cycle.. The accused then ran towards witness, who heard some shots and felt a pricking sensation .in her left. arm. She thought there were about five or six shots, As she could hear the/accused running behind her, she thought the best thing to" do would be.; to hide, so she ran behind a bush. Two people ran by, and when she attempted to get up she could hardly walk. She struggled to the motor-cyclist, and seeing two cars approaching she tried to stop them, but both passed by. A third car stopped, the driver of which took her to the i Mosgiel police and then to a doctor. She was afterwards admitted to a private hospital. She still suffered from the effects of the attack.

Evidence was also taken with reference to the charge of assault under arms with intent to rob, and on this charge also the accused was committed for trial.

This charge related to an alleged offence at the Botanic Gardens on November 25, when, according to the evidence of Edward Robertson, labourer, a man approached him, and, pointing a revolver at him, ordered him to empty his pockets. Witness said he intended to take a torch from his pocket so that he could see the man's face; but he heard the click of the revolver hammer so he passed the torch to the man, who stepped back and threw the torch at witness, who rushed away and complained to the police.