FIVE TRIAL CASES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22569, 24 February 1948, Page 6

FIVE TRIAL CASES

SUPREME COURT GRAND-JURY CHARGE matawhf.ro hotel case Five criminal ?ases were set down for (rial it ;he first quarterly sessions of 1948 0. 1 the Supreme Courl in Gisborne, which commenced before Mr. Justice Fair today One of the five trials was deferred from the November sessions, at which a true bill was returned by the grand jury, the accused being Kevin John Blanc and the- charge indecent assault. Four indictments submitted to the grand jury today comprised one of indecent assault, one of negligent driving causing death, one of vagabondage, and one of breaking, entering and theft, with an alternative charge of receiving stolen goods, said His Honour. Negligent Driving Charge The charge of negligent driving, causing death, was brought against an Opotiki motorist, whose car had turned over at a corner, all the passengers and the driver being thrown out and one woman killed. Evidence to be submitted to the grand jury would refer to an estimate of excessive speed given by one of the passengers. The driver put his speed at 30 to 35 miles an hour. Every motorist would be aware of the danger in speed on a gravelspread corner, said His Honour. The fact that the accused was conveying a lull load of passengers would doubtless seem to place a responsibility on him to keep within a speed which allowed him full control of the vehicle. His Honour referred briefly to charges of vagabondage against a Maori, and of indecent .assault against a European adult. True Bill Returned The first case to be put before the grand jury, he added, probably would be that against a man charged with breaking and entering and theft, with the alternative charge of receiving. The prima facie evidence was that on the night prior to the theft at the Matawhero Hotel the accused had been in the hotel with two other men; at 4 a.m. on the day of the burglary the accused had been seen by a hoarder walking round the building looking up at the windows. At 4.30 a.m. the licensee of the hotel was aroused and saw a car drive away from the hotel, with the rear luggage compartment half-open. The licensee had attached little importance to the incident at the time, but he attached more importance to it later when he was advised that his office had been broken into and his safe, containing a large sum of money, had been removed. The green car was later seen at Ruatoria and in the neighbourhood of Potaka, near Cape Runaaway His Honour described further incidents which led to the arrest of the accused at Te Kaha on January 5, a week after the burglary, and also the evidence that linked the accused with the car. on the one hand, and the car with the vehicle seen by the licensee at Matawhero. All this evidence seemed to connect the accused with the burglary, and further evidence would be offered which, unless there were some very clear rebuttal, would seem to connect the accused with the crime. The accused’s explanation of his having a large sum of money in his possession was that he had got it from bookmakers as a result of betting on horse-racing; but he was not prepared to name the bookmakers in case they got into trouble. The grand jury would have little difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that there was a case to answer in respect of the charges, His Honour added. The grand jury retired at 11.10 a.m., and returned a true bill on the alternative charges against Douglas Wright, of breaking and entering and theft, or alternatively of receiving stolen goods, after 30 minutes’ retirement. •Grand and Common Jurors The grand jury comprised C. Mills, foreman, H. P. Bennett, C. Berridge, C. A. Blackburn, A. G. Cairns, T. A. N. Corson, B, G. Dudfield, W. H. Ellis, G. W. Fyson, J. Green, J. Haisman, G. Henderson. W. H. James, S. T. Moss, R. N. Poulgrain, I, J. Quigley, A. K. Russell, J. H. Sunderland, T. A. Tangncy, E. C. Vigis, and G. E. Whinray. Common jurors sworn in were: A. F. Barber, E. W. Barrett, A. Barrington, T. H, Berry, W. F. Bound. D. Brown, E. E. Caughey, F. Collin, J. Coupe, F. B. Crosbv, A. H. DeCosta, H. G. Downey. G. EL Dunn, R. W. J. Edwards, H. L. Fuller, J. Green, J. Gunn. H. C. Hanes, T. S. Hatton, J. J. Higgins, H. Hills. P. Holmes. J. Ifossack. W. J. T. Hughes. J. Johansen, H. J. Little, J. H. E. Ijittle, V. G. Lowe, V. H. Moiser, A. McLean, B. Olsen. W. C. Peach, H. E. Renouf, J. W. Purcell. P. S. Sim, A. M. Singer, C. W. Smith, R. Stein, C. H. Swan, J. R. Tapping, A. Towers. M. P. Walsh. R. W. Waugh. J. N. Whiteley. J. Smethurst was excused duty on medical grounds.