GRUDGE ALLEGED

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 21 February 1935, Page 6

GRUDGE ALLEGED

WARDER’S CAR DESTROYED.

PRISONER FOUND GUILTY.

HAMILTON, Eeb. 19. Allegations that accused bore malice and had a grudge against the prison authorities which inspired the crime were made by the Crown solicitor, Mr H. T. Gillies, at the trial to-day of a young man named Maxwell Ching. Prisoner, who pleaded not guilty, was charged with wilfully setting fire to a garage at the Hautu Prison Camp on January 1. He conducted his own defence.

The officer in charge of the Hautu prison camp, Thomas Banks, said accused was a prisoner in the camp on January I. The prisoners were allowed liberty within the precincts of the camp on that day, and were permitted to play tennis or swim in a river. A garage with a ear, owned by a warder named McEwan, was destroyed by fire. On examining accused, witness found he had been blistered and burned about the legs and arms. A prisoner from the camp said he saw accused walking in the direction of the garage. A few minutes later the building was on fire. Witness spoke to accused, who said he had made a good job of it. Accused added that be had saturated the place with benzine before setting it alight. When he was leaving the garage his coat caught on a nail and the flames blew back and scorched him. A few months before the fire, accused told witness he intended to destroy McEwan's ear at the first opportunity. Accused said he wished MeEwan was in the car when it was burned.

Accused, in evidence, said he was burned when h|p was preparing tinder. Fellow prisoners had given evidence against him because they wanted remission of their sentences. One of them had been “after him" for some time. Accused said he was poaching trout at. the time of the fire, and that accounted for his being near the garage. Addressing the jury, accused said lie had completed two of the three years to which ho had been sentenced, and lie hoped the jury would take that into consideration. He did not ask for sympathy; he only sought justice. After a short retirement, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Sentence was deferred.