MURDER CHARGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1942, Page 2

MURDER CHARGE

MAORI SENT FOR TRIAL.

WELLINGTON, February 17. When asked to plead in tne Magistrate’s Court to-day to a charge of murdering Mary Currie, a 20-year-old Maori, Rakapa Nukunuku remained silent. Mr J. L. Stout,. S.M., treated this as a plea of not guilty, and committed * Nukunuku to the Supreme Court for trial.

Remains, presumed to be those of Miss Currie, were removed from the ruins of her cottage at Titahi Bay early bn January 29 after it had been burnt down about midnight on the previous night. Miss Currie was head laundress at the Porirua Mental Hospital, of which accused had been an inmate for more than a year before the alleged crime. Bella Findlayson, charge nurse at the Mental Hospital, stated that she owned a cottage with Currie. Because of her hours of worn, witness generally lived at the hospital, but Currie had lately been living at the cottage permanently She had lunch with Currie about 2 p.m. on January 28, and when. she left for work Currie was alone in the cottage. About a year before the fire accused had worked on several occasions in the cottage garden and sometimes had had midday and afternoon tea in the house.

Dr. Phillip Patrick Lynch, pathologist, produced a report of the* examination he had made of charred human remains that had been recovered from Currie’s cottage after the fire. He stated that there was a deep depression in the neck in which were pieces of a cloth band which could have been used as a means of strangulation. Dr. Lynch added that it was certain that death had occurred before the fire reached the body. The remains were those of a person of Currie’s description. Arthur James Thompson, attendant at the Mental Hospital, said that at 5 a.m. on January 29 he saw accused in the hospital bakehouse. Accused had been absent from the hospital from about G p.m. on the previous day. He had with him a blue hatbox which Miss Findlayson had identified as being similar to the one owned by Currie. Accused had scratches on his face and small bloodstains on his white shirt.

Archibald Greig, charge attendant at the mental hospital, said he had searched accused’s clothing on the morning of January 29 and found a ring, brooches, and wristlet watches which Miss Findlayson had identified as belonging to her. Detective E. H. Compton said he interviewed accused on January 29 concerning the alleged death of Currie. Accused then made a statement in which he said that on January 28 he went for a walk near the hospital but instead of returning went on to Titahi Bay, where he went to the cottage. He knew Miss Findlayson was away. Miss Currie came out of her room and said: ‘‘You want some money, don’t you?” Accused stated that he then went into the kitchen where he got a towel which he tied tightly round Currie’s neck. She fell to the floor with the towel still round her neck. He left her there while he took things from Findlayson’s room. Currie was still lying on the floor when he came back. He then went under the house and put some paper there and lit it. He was back at the hospital before he saw the lire. Detective Compton said accused .had been committed to the institution as a juvenile and classed as a low yrade' feeble-minded person.