CHARGE OF MURDER

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 February 1947, Page 4

CHARGE OF MURDER

YOUNGMAN’S DEATH AT WHANGAREI ALLEGATION OF JEALOUSY (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 10. Arrested within two days of the shooting of a married man, Sydney John Peachey, aged 24, at his home in Whangarei on July 14 last year, a farmhand, Reginald Alexander Donaldson, aged 27, appeared for trial to-day in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Callan and a jury on a charge of murder. The accused is a former serviceman, and the delay of seven months between the arrest and the trial was caused by the time required by the defence to assemble his service record. The Crown’s case is being conducted by Mr. V. R. Meredith, with whom is Mr. G. Speight. The accused is defended by Mr. R. K. Trimmer, with whom are associated Mr. F. McCarthy and Mr. D. L. Ross. Mr. Meredith, in his opening address, said that after the shooting the possibility of a former jealous admirer of Mrs. Peachey having committed the crime was investigated, and inquiries made by the police prompted Detective-Sergeant J. B. Finlay and Detective E. W. Mahood to visit the accused. Under questioning, the accused had broken down and admitted that he had “just had to do it.” A Stehr pistol had been brought home from Austria by the accused’s brother, who had been a prisoner of war for four years. When it was found, five of the eight cartridges it held remained. The accused had fired two to test the gun, and the third had killed Peachey, it was alleged. “It can be seen "from an outline ol the evidence that there was a deliberate intention on the accused’s part to kill Peachey,” said Mr. Meredith. Evidence was given by Dr. JHoward F. Buckley, who said the bullet pierced the heart and that death had been almost instantaneous; Rona Freda Peachey, aged 20, wife of the dead man; George Keith Patteson, who with his wife shared Peacheys house; and Detective-Sergeant Finlay, who, in detailing an interview with the accused, said Donaldson told him: “When I got to the house I went to the window and saw them sitting there. When I saw that fellow with his arms round Rona’s neck I just felt mad. I hit the window and he came over. I fired and he wheeled and fell. I didn’t wait to see if I had killed him, but ran away and got into the car, and drove home.” ■The is preceding.