MURDER CHARGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 31, 5 August 1943, Page 6

MURDER CHARGE

I THE ACCUSED'S STATEMENT PA. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The hearing of the charge against James Hector McAulay, of murdering a woman taxi driver, Mrs. M. W. Webster, continued in the Supreme Court yesterday. Dr. A. B. Pearson gave details of the post-mortem examination, and said Mrs. Webster had died a violent death, which was undoubtedly due to strangulation, assisted by blows on the head. Dr. K. F. M. Uttley said that from tests he had made on stains on McAulay's clothing he was satisfied -'that they were human blood, but it was impossible to group the blood. How he had interviewed McAulay at the Ashburton skating rink was described by Detective Norman Thompson. The accused, after being taken to the police station, said that he knew something about the murder, but that it had been committed by a soldier. He said he was anxious to make a, statement which would enable the" police to check up on the soldier. After the statement he made was read over to him, the accused said he was quite satisfied with it. Detective Thompson read McAulay's statement, which alleged that the name of the soldier was Ron Moore and that he was wearing a Glengarry bonnet. McAulay alleged that this man said to him, "It is a nice night for a murder." The latter then explained that he had come to Ashburton "in order to do Mrs. Webster in," as he had some grievance against her. The accused told how he had gone with the soldier, how they had met Mrs. Webster on the road, and how the soldier had pushed him into the car. He said that when Mrs. Webster subsequently pulled the car up the soldier hit her over the head with a bottle. He later violated her and took her money. The soldier drove the car to McAulay's place, where he insisted on his helping in placing the body in the sump hole. The soldier, who, he said, was under the influence of liquor, then drove Mrs. Webster's car away. Before he left, however, he gave McAulay the dead woman's handbag. The accused, when arrested, had two United States dollar bills, five halfcrowns, four florins, 6s 9d in silver, and four pennies, stated Detective Thompson. Police gave evidence of their inability to trace a soldier Ron Moore ft at any of the military camps. TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS. The remaining witnesses for the Crown were called today. Veronica Evelyn Nixon said that she first met McAulay last Christmas at Ashburton. On one occasion she was sitting on a sofa when McAulay switched out the light and said he was "going to do her in." McAulay added that if he committed a murder he could place the body where no trace could be found.

Mary Ellen Watson said that McAulay had discussed a picture with her. It had concerned a murder, and McAulay said that if he had done it he would have known where to put the body.

When the above statement was corroborated by Kent Joseph Johnston counsel asked if that suggested that McAulay would put a body in a backyard in a populous place. Johnston replied "No." This concluded the case for the Crown, and counsel intimated that he did not intend to call evidence.

The Crown Prosecutor in his address to the jury said that if McAulay's story was true, and that a soldier committed the crime, McAulay was equally guilty. McAulay's actions showed that he was abnormal.