CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AGAINST HASTINGS RESIDENT

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 May 1931, Page 7

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AGAINST HASTINGS RESIDENT

Married Man and Single Girl SEQUEL TO EASTER - SHOOTING SENSATION HASTINGS, Last Night. Evidence that the accused, though married, wished to get a divorce and marry her, and that she declined similar repeated offers was given by .Mavis Steel Smith for the alleged Attempted murder of whom Hubert Frederick Nunn appeared in the Hastings Court today. Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., was on the Bench. Inspector Cummings appeared for the police and Mr E. J. Hallett .for the accused. Miss Smith, who appeared in court with a heavily-bandaged' head and .■showing signs of much emotion, gave was single and had. known accused for two yearn Nunn used to call at the .her evidence seated. She said she •house. Sometimes they met accidentally And at other times designedly. She -was not sure whether Nunn said his wife had gone or that ho had lost her. He told her he had one daughter. Accused called to asked witness to marry him, but she gave no definite jeply. He said he would get a ’divorce. They decided later to remain friends, but ultimately she told accused they should not see each other. .Hhe did not see accused for a long •time. At the next meeting he referred to witness keeping company with another man and said “nobody •else will get you." He repeated the .remark several times and added that he would do away with himself. Witness remembered the occasion when Nunn asked her to marry him. •She got in his car and noticed he had a gun. Witness refused the offer of .marriage made oh that occasion, and .he said he would do away with himself that night, but later he quietened •-down. She seldom saw accused after -that.

After a wedding on Easter Monday -she returned home and later left for a party. She saw Nunn’s car in a neighbouring road and later it passed •the car she was in. About one the next morning witness returned home with a carload of friends, and when vthe car drove away witness heard .Nunn’s voice as she approached tho house. It was moonlight and she noticed Nunn had a gun concealed behind him. Accused asked witness to marry him. She said; “No,” and Nunn said: “I’ll shoot you then.”

She was unable to remember her .reply. Nunn asked her to come into the car for a talk and she replied: ■“lt is no good talking over it.” Witness moved away and dodged behind a tree. Accused chased her round it with the gun in his hand .and raised it. Witness called to her father and ran towards the house. •Sheheard a loud click and a report but She heard a loud click and a report but oshe found herself lying on the lawn. To Mr. Hallett, witness said she .knew accused was exceedingly fond of Jher. He was always kind and considerate. She never suspected he would wilfully harm her. Reginald Eves gave evidence that he ;and others called for Miss Smith to go to the party on the night of the alleged offer He saw Nunn’s car in the neighbouring road. Alfred Thomas Smith, father of the e girl, gave t evidence that he was not cat first aware of the acquaintance of his daughter and Nunn, but later Nunn asked witness for leave to pay .attention to his daughter. He said he intended getting a divorce, but witness and his wife objected. Nunn appeared terribly upset. Witness knew Nunn later brought his daughter home .several times. Witness had warned Nunn several times, and forbidden him to speak to her. Once Nunn ;said: “I can't live without her,”

On the night of the alleged offence ■witness heard his daughter screaming: ’“Dad, dad!" He ran out, followed -by his son-in-law, and heard a shot fired from the front of the house. He found his daughter bleeding on the ; grass, but saw nobody in the grounds, Montague Harry Tidsdall, gun exjpert, of Auckland, described the weapon produced as a twelve-bore hammer ,gun which he examined on April 9. The right barrel had recently been discharged and the inside left barrel was coated with dust. From experiments made he asserted that; the shot was .fired directly at Miss Smith from a Tange of thirteen yards, and at twenty-seven yards the spread of the -shot would be almost identical with -that on the house.

Two witnesses gave evidence as to ■having seen accused walking up and -down in the vicinity of Smith's house -on Easter ” nday evening, while his car was close at hand. Dr. H. M. Wilson described Miss -■Smith's wounds on the neck and back. The victim v/as now progressing satisfactorily but was complaining of double vision, which was being investigated. Witness saw accused soon after the arrest and he appared sjiucwhat dazed. He stood up to walk hut could not or would not use his limbs. Accused spoke rationally. Bessie Edith Campbell, accused's housekeeper, said she and her child went with accused to Otane on Easter Sunday, They got out of the car and walked to the river, accused taking a gun. Witness and her child walked back to the car, and Nunn went away shooting. She heard one shot fired. Accused soon returned, but did not get anything as the* result of the shot.

Muriel Constance T„ Bowen, Havelock North, said accused called at her bouse on Easter Monday night about 10.15 and left about midnight. Metha Young, a neighbour of accused, said s. j heard Nunn's car come in about half-past one in the morning of Tuesday, after Easter. Frederick Bound deposed to seeing Nunn's car unattended in Pakowhai

road between a Quarter past twelve,' and half-past twelve on Easter Motif day night. - William B. J. Kissock, telegraph messenger .identified by his initials on it the cartridge case h% picked up near Nunn's house and handed to the police. The hearing was adjourned to Saturday morning. Bail was refused.