BOY ON MURDER CHARGES

Evening Star, Issue 25473, 2 May 1945, Page 4

BOY ON MURDER CHARGES

MOTHER AND BROTHER SHOT EVIDENCE ACCUSED A " VERY-NICE BOY " (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 1. The trial of Noel Ingram Brooks, aged 13, on charges of murdering his mother and brother by shooting at their farmhouse at Matarawa, six miles from Greytown, on March 18, was commenced in the Supreme Court to-day before Acting Chief Justice Blair. MrW. H. Cunningham, K.C., appeared for the Crown, and Dr 0. C. Mazengarb and Mr tit. It. Durridge for the accused. Mr Cunningham stressed tho difficult and painful task that faced tho jury. Their sympathy would go out to the boy in tho dreadful predicament in which ho found himself, but nevertheless iu the eyes of the law human life was sacred, and -when it was taken the taker must answer for his deed according to the law. The jury, Mr Cunningham said, would have to give serious consideration to the law governing the acts of a person between the ages of seven and 14. The actual facts of the case might bo almost undisputed, and it would be a question of considering that law, which said that no person between these ages should be convicted unless the jury by whom he was tried were of of opinion that he knew that bis act or omission was wrong. The accused, Mr Cunningham said, was one of a family of four children. His parents had a dairy farm, and the family, so far as could be ascertained, were quite happy. It would be shown that the accused, who started at a secondary school this year, was of good average intelligence and had no known peculiarities. He had been instructed in tho use of firearms by his father and had been given the privilege of keeping clean the rifle that figured in the shooting. He had also seen his father kill deer with that rifle. The Crown Prosecutor then went on to givo details of the case.

The evidence closely followed that given in the lower court. Nura May Brooks said her hrothei Noel had always been a perfectly normal boy. The accused's father, Errol James Brooks, said that when he asked Noel why he had done it, he replied: "I don't know." When witness spoke to him he burst out crying. His eyes were glassy, as if he were walking in his sleep. When witness put him on a couch in the sitting room he was hysterical. There had been a dispute with, or correction of, Noel on the day of the shooting. He was always willing to do anything to assist on the farm. Roger Brooks, aged 15, a brother of the accused, said that when Noel came to the cow shed after the shooting witness asked him what was the matter, and he did not reply. Witness then persuaded Noel to come to the house with him. He had a glassy look in his eyes.

Arthur Playle, a dairy farmer, of Matarawa, a neighbour of Brooks, said he had always found Noel a very nico boy. When he reached (Brooks's house on the day of the shooting Noel was crying bitterly and was throwing himself about on the couch."

The hearing will be continued tomorrow. .The accused wept bitterly throughout the day. with his head bowed into a handkerchief and his shoulders quivering with sobs.