BURWOOD MURDER TRIAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1927, Page 5

BURWOOD MURDER TRIAL

BOAKES’ OWN STATEMENT CROWN CASE COMPLETED

(Per Press Aasooiatioa.)

CHRISTCHURCH, August 31. In the Burwood murder case this afternoon, Detective-Sergeant Young gave evidence, first as to finding the body, and then as to statements by Boakes. He said that Boakes was interrogated at length at the Police Station. Boakes stated that he had known the girl Scarff for 15 years, since she was a child. He had carried on business for Scarff senior, who was a carrier, first while Scarff was on holiday, and then while he was absent owing to illness. He (Boakes) used to drive a motor truck, which was housed at Scarff’s residence, He used to see Gwen Scarff, then 15 or 16 years of age, but he had no intimacy . with her. After a time, Boakes stated, he left Scarff’s employ. One day Scarff sen. came to him, saying: “What the hell have you been doing to Gwen?” He (Boakes) had replied, “What do you mean?” Scarff said, “She had a kiddie!” Scarff said it had died, but it was Boakes’s child. They had discussed the matter on other occasions, but he (Boakes) had denied point blank that the child was his. Later, said Boakes, he saw Gwen Scarff, and he asked iier why she said the child was his. She said: “I was so danced ill, and had to blame somebody!” He asked whose it was, and she said she didn’t know. During the past eight months, while he had been driving a taxi, Boakes said further, he had seen the girl frequently. He had never had intercourse with the girl in his life. He last saw her on Saturday, June 11, and on Friday afternoon, June 10, at the Federal Hotel. He did not know who had sent for him, and he had been surprised to find her there. She “bawled at top.” The girl had told him of trouble with her mother and father, and had said, “We are going up to the North Island next week!” Boakes asked, “Who are we?” but the girl would not tell,him. He did not know she was pregnant. He had never held any money for her ,nor had he ever procured medicine for her. Any statements the girl had made about him being unhappy at home, or as to his intention to set up a home for her at Hastings, were damned lies. He had never seen, nor had in his possession, the spanner produced. Detective Young continued that on June 27 he arrested Boakes, and charged him with the murder of the girl Scarff. When the charge was read to him, he said, “Oh!” Boakes was then locked up. Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike corroborated portions of Detective Young’s statement. After Detective Young had left the office he said, Boakes said to witness,. “Have they found the thing that • killed her?” Witness interviewed Boakes about his .movements. Boakes denied having brought the girl in his taxi from her employer’s house in Cashmere. He had been to Cashmere on June 8 to pick up a fare, but the fare was a man —a stranger to him. He said he was not at Burwood on June 8, and. had never had Gwen Scarff out in his car. He denied that the military overcoat found was his. He had once had a Mercedes car, but he sold it six years ago. AU the tools went with the car, including the spanners similar to that in the possession of the police. The spanner held by the police was not his. About 1910, Boakes said, he had trouble about an illegitimate child in Auckland, of which he was not the father. He got six months for perjury over the case. After the statement had been read to him, Boakes had said, “There has been a hell of a lot of talk about me messing about with this girl. A man might have had intimacy with her, but that is not to say I murdered her. There is another Charlie besides me, and he knows her well. He does not get on well with his wife.” Detective Bickerdike stated he then said to Boakes, “Who is the other Charlie?” Boakes replied. “He works in a coal yard in Colombo Street, near the hills.” Witness said, “What is his full name?” Boakes replied, “I don’t like dragging othei' people into it, but his name is Charlie Keys.” Witness said, “Can you give me any - information that Keys knows anything about this murder?” Accused replied, “It is your duty to find out, and you know how to do it.” Boakes had denied statements by King, a chemist’s assistant, about the purchase by Boakes of pills and ergot. When King was brought to the police station, and asked to repeat his earlier statement to the police in Boakes’ presence, Boakes assumed a threatening attitude, and witness interposed, as he thought that Boakes might strike King. Boakes said to King, “You are a liar!” Boakes denied having had letters from Scarff, except one about four months ago. . , Charlie Keys gave evidence that he knew Gwen Scarff for seven years. He had never taken her out on his motor cycle, or his car. He had no military overcoat. This concluded the evidence. Mr Thomas submitted that there was no prim a facie case against his client, Boakes, on the murder charge. On the other charge of supplying a noxious thing to Gwen Scarff, he admitted a prima facie case had been established, and that Boakes would have to go to trial on this charge. The Magistrate found that Ellen Gwendoline Isobel Scarff died on June 15, 1927, having been murdered by some person by means of a blunt instrument. In regard to the charges, Boakes was committed for trial on the charge of supplying a noxious thing. He pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate said he would consider the evidence, and would give his decision on the other charge to-mor-row.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. (Received 2.35 p.m.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 1. Boakes was committed for trial on a charge of murder.