SYDNEY SHOOTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1946, Page 8

SYDNEY SHOOTING

CHARGE OF MALICIOUS WOUNDING EVIDENCE BY VICTIM SYDNEY, Oct. 15. • Giving evidence to-day in the case in which David Stewgrt Dawson, company director, aged 24, is charged with maliciously wounding him, George Bankin Mackay, who is on the reserve of officers Of the Royal Navy, said that, with others, he attended a party at Stewart. Dawson’s residence at Palm Beach. They pfoyed the radio and the gramophone, talked, and had drinks. , At II p.m., when the radio played the National Anthem, David Stewart Dawson turned it off and, in ? ing voice, said: “To Hell with Hie King-” Witness lost his temper and pushed defendant from the radio- in t»e 'scuffle two glasses of liquor were spilt. He and a companion then lert and went to their ear, but following something that was said he returned to the porch. Stewart Dawson, sen., appeared brandishing an empty gm bottle, and followed by his son. Stewart Dawson, sen., addressed him insultingly, waving the bottle over his ffead and ordering him off the property. Witness did not have a bottle' at any time. He heard shots and felt,a shock in his stomach. He did not see defendant with a pistol, as he was looking at Stewart Dawson, sen., at the time. He tried to get up, but fell again, and Stewart Dawson, sen., kicked him in the face and chin and tried to kick him in the groin. Witness’s thigh was bruised for about a fortnight afterwards. He spent a fortnight in hospital and had an operation, but the bullet, had not yet been removed. Cross-examined by Mr. J. v\. Shand. K.C., witness denied that he was uncontrollably drunk at the time of the incident. It would be blackmail if a person was asked to give a false account of such an occurrence with the idea of extorting money from the other person concerned. He did not kpow that the woman with whom he attended the party afterwards went to the defendant. On the night of the occurrence he mentioned damages up to £20,000, but did not say he would twist his evidence _if the money was not paid. He denied the allegation that he had conspired with other people to extort money. He went back to the porch to demand an apology.