MURDER AND SUICIDE VERDICTS IN NELSON DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22887, 5 March 1949, Page 8

MURDER AND SUICIDE VERDICTS IN NELSON DOUBLE TRAGEDY

(P.AiJ NELSON, March 5. “It is abundantly clear that Hill was murdered by being shot with a revolver,” said the coroner, Mr. T. E. Maunsell, giving his verdict at the double inquest into the deaths of George William Hill, aged 36, a plumber, who disappeared from his home on December 19, 1947, and whose body was found buried at Tahuna Beach on January 24, 1949, and Huia Alfred Cleal, aged 31, taxi-driver, who was found with his throat cut on the day following the discovery of Hill’s body.

“Sordid and Gruesome”

“This is one of the most sordid and gruesome cases into which I have had to inquire,” said Mr. Maunsell. "At one time, it appeared that there was nothing more than a suspicion as to whom the murderer was but I have come to the conclusion, by adding everything together, that the verdict I should return is that Hill was murdered by Huia Alfred Cleal. “There was an illicit association between Cleal and Mrs. Hill before Hill went to Japan, while he was in Japan ancj after his return. Their association resulted in a mutual infatuation and Cleal speaks of jealousy as far as Hill is concerned.

“On the night Hill disappeared the only person in his company was Cleal, and I think there is a strong reason to believe, notwithstanding the evidence of McEvoy, that Cleal had a revolver, the body was buried secretly and when it was found Cleal promptly committed suicide. “He has made false statements both as regards his relations with Mrs- Hill and as regards the sale of Hill’s bicycle. That compels me to record that Hill -was murdered by Cleal. As far as Cleal is concerned, the verdict will be that death was due to suicide and that the immediate cause of death was shock and haemorrhage following an incised wound of the throat.** Lilian Betty Hill, widow of the late George William Hill, in evidence, told of her relationships with her husband and with Cleal. x She and her husband had resided in Christchurch until 1944. when they transferred to Nelson with their two children. She first got to know Huia Alfred Cleal through her husband a few months after they came to Nelson. Cleal was a close friend of Hill, who brought Cleal home for meals every Sunday. Mrs. Hill said that her husband was a fairly heavy drinker ever since they married and, as a result of those habits, he neglected his home. Relations With Cleal

Some six months after she met Cleal she had illicit relations with him. When her husband went overseas with the J Force in 1946, it was agreed among the three of them that Cleal could do odd jobs in the home while Hill was away. . , Cleal was a good companion to her and was very good to her children. When her husband returned in July, 1947, he lived with her and her children in a flat at 90 Hardy street. Nelson. Cleal continued visiting the flat, going there practically every night of the week. Her husband continued his drinking habits atfer his return. Hill never made any suggestion that witness and Cleal were on terms of intimacy and was always pleased for Cleal to visit them. Before her husband’s return, Cleal had said that if her husband treated her right on his return he would fade out of the picture.

Did Not See Husband Again

Dealing with the events on December 19, 1947. the day when Hill disappeared, witness said that she and her husband had discussed a money matter and the question of her husband doing a plumbing job at a Reefton hotel. About 0.20 p.m., Cleal arrived at the flat, which was usual on Friday nights. Cleal and her husband talked together and Hill asked Cleal to go out and have beer. Cleal said, yes, I’ll have a couple with you. At about 9.45 p.m. the two left the flat together. She did not see her husband alive again. On January 9, 1948. on a doctors advice she and the children went to Christchurch for a holiday, being driven there in 'deal’s taxi. Continuing, witness said that Cleal continued to visit the flat and they remained on friendly tgfms until January 25, 1949. The remains of her husband’s body were found on Tahuna beach on January 24 and Cleal took his life the following day. No Indication of Suicide Cleal had returned from Wellington on January 22 and stayed at the flat. On Tuesday. January 25, he went out at 2.30 p.m. to see if there was any mail. She was sure that at that time Cleal did not know that her husband’s body had been found. She did not | know either until the police broke the news to her at about 5 p.m. Cleal gave no indication to her that he contemplated suicide. Letters written by Mrs. Hill were handed in as evidence. Extracts stated: “The Lord only knows how you are getting along on your own, but this lonely life is hell.” ... “I am counting the days to the week-end when you come back I can’t start enjoying myself on my own after three years of heaven with you, darling. Life has been cruel to us in parts, but thank God for the lovely times we’ve had together.” Dr. J. O. Mercer, pathologist of Wellington, who examined the bodies of Hill and Cleal produced a piece of skin taken from the abdomen of Hill’s body. The skm contained a punched circular hole, five-eighths of an inch in diameter which, witness believed, to be a bullet hole.

Dr. Mercer said he was strongly of the opinion that Hill was shot by a bullet which passed through his body. Body Placed There After Death

Continuing his evidence, Dr. Mercer said he visited the beach to examine Hill’s body. It was lying in a most unnatural position and decomposition was advanced. The body had been placed there by some other person. Dr. Mercer said the skin of the chest was relatively intact and mummifiedHe produced a piece of skin of the abdomen which had a hole in it.. He had formed the following conclusions: Decomposition of the soft tissue was complete and he did hot think that would occur in under a year in sand. The body must have been placed there after death had occurred. Decomposition of the organs was complete and he could form no conclusion as to how death had occurred. Strangulation or hanging had almost certainly not occurred. There was a hole in the lower part of the .chest like a bullet hole. He was of the opinion that Hill waS shot through the chest. Such a wound would injure a vital structure and would be rapidly fatal. Reporting on his examination of Cleal, Dr. Mercer said there were wounds on the wrists which had the appearance of tentative wounds. There was a gaping wound in the throat. Large Calibre Bullet Wound Senior-Sergeant G. Kelly, arms advisory officer of the Police Department, said he had examined photographs produced by Dr. Mercer and a piece of skin removed from the chest area of the body of Hill. The hole in the skin appeared to have been caused by a bullet of a large calibre. The appearance of holes in- the singlet and the shirt indicated that the bullet passed right through the body and spent its force so that it did not go through the waistcoat and coat. There would be nothing unusual in this in the case of a low velocity bullet. William Thomas Keesing, a dentist, said the army dental history sheet of Lance Corporal Sapper G. W. Hill corresponded with', the teeth in the body that he examined at the morgue. Francis Oliver Kenning said he had two games of crib with Hill in Post Boy Hotel on the afternoon of December 19, 1947. Hill was of a cheery disposition, a carefree type and very good natured. Henry James Morris, a plumber, gave evidence of attending a pre-wedding

party in a shop after work on December 19. Hill had had a few drinks when he left him at 6.30, but he was not showing signs of liquor to any marked degree. The finding of a revolver among clothes in deal’s cupboard at a cottage where witness and Cleal lived was described in a statement made previously by Richard McEvoy. the fireman on the steamer Kaitoa. However, on hearing the statement read, McEvoy said he was not certain it was a revolver he had seen. It might have been a clothes hanger, he continued.

McEvoy said he arrived back in port at Nelson at 2 a.m. on the morning of December 20, 1947 and went straight to the cottage. Witness went to bed at 3 a.m. and it was some time after that when Cleal came in. Passing Motorist Told Off

A retired motor engineer of Blenheim, Norman Bowler James, who had been in Nelson on December 19, said he was crossing Wangamoa Hill in a car about 10.15 p.m. when he saw pulled up off the road a big new looking car without lights. 1

Thinking that the occupants might have wanted assistance, witness pulled up and called out “are you all right?” One of two men standing by the other car replied:" well get going.” That plainly indicated to me that my presence was not wanted there, James added.

When Cleal heard in the bar of the Dominion Hotel that Hill’s body had been found, the colour left his face and he went as white as a sheet, said Ronald Graham, a building contractor. Witness said he was in the bar on the afternoon of January 25 at about 2.30 o’clock. The barman on duty was Leo Curneen who was a newcomer to Nelson.

Cleal came into the bar on his own and stood alongside witness’ group. The barman, Curneen, had been reading a newspaper containing the account of the finding of the body at Tahuna. “Went as White as a Sheet”

Curneen served Cleal with the first beer, no comment being passed. When serving deal’s second beer, the barman commented: "They have found Hill’s body on the beach. Who do you think committed the murder? Do you think it is somebody local?” or words to that effect. It was obvious that Curneen did not know who Cleal was. Cleal went as white as a sheet. Witness and his friend then left the bar. The story of finding Cleal with his throat cut in the Melrose Rest Home grounds at 3.45 o'clock that afternoon was given by Athol William Blue, a grocer’s assistant. Dectective W. Parish told of the find, ing of Hill’s body in the sand at Tahunanui by a man on the beach on January 24 last. Detective J. J. Murray produced statements made by Cleal. In one, made on February 5, 1948. ClealJ had said lie drove Hill to a brewery where Hill alighted but did not return to the car. On February 24 Cleal made another ’statement in which he said he drove to Wangamoa. He denied that he ever had a revolver.