GRIM STORY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21385, 21 April 1944, Page 4

GRIM STORY

MURDER CHARGE DEATH OF WOMAN HUSBAND FOR TRIAL (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 20. A grimly dramatic story was unfolded before the magistrate, Mr. J. H. Luxfbrd, in the Police Court today when Thomas Philip Haworth, aged 32, chrome tanner, Otahuhu, was charged with the murder of his wile, Patricia Florence Haworth, aged 2fi. The tragedy was alleged to have occurred at the accused’s home, 28 Luke road, Otahuhu, on March 16.

Among' the police exhibits were a heavy double-headed engineer’s hammer, with which the police allege the crime was committed, and a series ofgruesome photographs showing the terribly battered head of Mrs. Haworth and the condition of the bedroom at the Haworth home when the police photographer visited it. Sixteen witnesses are being called by the Crown prosecutor, Mr. V. R. Merdith. The inquest proceedings are being taken concurrently with the hearing of the murder charge. Detective-Sergeant F. N. Aplin, who made the arrest, represented the police, and Mr. J. Terry appeared for the accused. Left Work During Morning Stephen Christopher Arlington, tanner, employed by Lee and Arlington, tanners, Otahuhu, said that Haworth had been employed by his firm for 18 years and was at work at 7.20 o’clock on the morning of March 16. When the witness arrived the witness spoke to him and he appeared less upset than he had been on other days that week. Apart from his face being, white he appeared normal. At 9.55 a.m. the witness saw Haworth riding away in the direction of Luke road on his bicycle in his working clothes. He had not notified the office, as he usually did when leaving work. The hammer produced was identified by the witness as being the firm’s property. It was used for opening casks and barrels. Evidence that he saw Haworth leaving about 10 a.m. on March 16 was given by Arthur Ralph Bennett, another tannery employee. At 2 p.m. that day when the witness went to get the hammer it was not in the tannery. Heard Commotion In Bedrobm Mrs. Ethel May Massey, who had lived next to the Haworths for four or live years, said that the accused was quiet and reserved. Until March 16 the w'itness had never heard any sounds of quarrelling. Haworth usually left for work at about 7.15 a.m. and most days came home for lunch. On the morning of March 16 the witness saw Mrs. Haworth in her back yard. The witness spoke to her at about 9.50 a.m. A little later, when the witness was in her kitchen; she heard the front door of Haworth’s house slam and heavy footsteps proceeding from the front to the back of the house. She then heard a commotion in the bedroom and heard Haworth say, "You don’t love me any more. Its all up.’’ These words were spoken in a loud voice. The commotion sounded like things being thrown arotind and ,like a struggle. Mrs. Massey, continuing her ’ evidence, said that she then went outside by the hedge, where she heard Mrs. Haworth- screaming for help. She called out loudly quite a few times. The witness then left her place and went to the front gates, where she saw a bicycle lying in. the grass. She then ran to the' house across the road and drew the attention of a man named Doyle to the bicycle. She told Doyle what she thought was happening. She then returned to her place. All Was then quiet at the Haworths. She heard the v front door slam and saw Haworth on the verandah as he came out of the door. She saw him walk out of the gate, mount his bicytle and ride oil towards Otahuhu. He saw the witness, but did not speak. He looked haggard and pale. Haworth was not then in his working clothes, but, appeared to have his good suit on. Mrs. Haworth’s Condition The witness went to Haworth’s front door and found it locked, as was th'e ba-ck door. She then went to Mrs. Haworth’s bedroom window and, looking in, saw Mrs... Haworth lying facing the door ,on the opposite . side of the room. Her face was covered with blood and blood was running down her arm. The witness,, could see that, she was breathing. Immecii-. ately the witness went to Doyles place and asked him to call the polic.e, after which she waited until the police arrived shortly afterwards. “From the time of the commotion the accused was the only-one I sa,w leave the house arid I didn t see anyone go into the ..place,” said the witn£Dennis Doyle corroborated parts of Mrs Massey’s evidence which concerned him He said he had seen Haworth ride down the stieet f° r about 100yds., stop, look back, and then go into the house of Mrs. Lawrence. Mrs. Florence Lawrence gave eyidence that Haworth had said to her his wife “was gone” and he, asked the witness to __ look after his son Philip, who was at school. , Constable Ivan Allan Murray described the scene in the bedroom when he brpke into the house, and said that Mrs. Haworth’s head was badly battered, but she was breathing with a gasping noise. There was a hammer in the room and there were indications of a struggle having taken place. The witness accompanied Mrs. Plaworth in the ambulance to the hospital, but she died before admission to the institution.

“Told Me He Had Killed tiis Wife” Evidence that Haworth used to come to his hotel between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. each Saturday was given by Charges Claude Nicholson, licensee of the Star Hotel, Otahuhu. . Some time between 10.15 a.m. and 10.40 a.m. on Ma-rch 16 the witness saw the accused in the bar and said “Hullo Tommy! Having a day off? Not feeling too good?” “He beckened to me and said that something dreadful had happened, something that had never happened in his family before,” said the witness. “He told me I was the only one he could trust, and then he said he had killed his wife. He was in a very nervous state and spoke gushingly. “He told me he had killed his wife with a hammer and said she was no good—she-, was rotten to the core,” continued the witness. “Thinking that he had gone off his head and that I would calm him down I told him to come in and have a brandy ” The witness said he went to the accused’s house and returned to the hotel with Detective McLean. Haworth was still sitting in the bar. An American serviceman gave evidence of visits he made to the Haworth home. “Mrs. Haworth and I had become quite attached to each other and I planned to come back to her after the war,” said the witness. “On the Saturday' night Haworth was told how we felt about each other. That was on the Saturday before the Thursday on which she was killed.” The witness .said lie was ,married;, but he was going to get a divorce.

Mrs. Haworth was going to get a divorce. Mr. Terry (for the accused): What started the discussion on the mutual feelings between you and Mrs. Haworth? , The Witness: Mrs. Haworth made a very direct and definite statement on the matter. ' Mr. Terry: And you followed?— That is correct. lam in love with her. Dr. W. Gilmour,, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, said that there were 13 wounds .on Mrs. Haworth’s head. They could have be'en caused by the hammer produced in court. Statements By Accused “When Haworth and I were waiting in the hotfel yard for a conveyance I asked him what went wrong,” said Detective McLean. “He replied ‘That Yank.’ At the police station De-tective-Sergeant Aplin cautioned Haworth, and told him we were making inquries about his, wife being injured. Detective-Sergeant Aplin later told him he was going to be charged and that his. wife was dead. The accused was sitting in a chair. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and said ‘Thank God.’ ” Ar>. account of statements which he said were made by Haworth was given by Detective-Sergeant Aplin. “It is that Yank,” Haworth was alleged to have stated. “He is the cause of it. He stayed at my place. I got to know him about a fortnight ago at a friend’s place. She. was there. He asked her if she minded if he came down on Monday. When I got home from work he was there. He stayed until 3.30. He came apd stayed at our place last Friday. He stayed till Sunday. He left to go back to Warkworth. After he went she told me he had taken Her —-you know what that means. This week she has been out every night, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7. She would not tell me where she had been. It has been playing on my mind' ever since he stayed at my place. I went to work this morning. I .have a hazy recollection of getting the hammer, of going home, seeing her, and hitting her.” The witness said Haworth was sober at the time and appeared .to be rational. This closed the case for the Crown and the accused had no statement to make. He was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Auckland.