UPPER HUTT MURDER CHARGE

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 June 1932, Page 5

UPPER HUTT MURDER CHARGE

EVIDENCE BY CHILD’S MOTHER. STRANGE DEMEANOUR OF THE ACCUSED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ■WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The preliminary hearing of evidence on the murder charge against Horace Frank Livermore, in connects >n with the death of Vera Margaret iforstei, at Upper Hutt on April loth, was proceeded with before Mr Page, S.M. today.

A plan of the vicinity and photographs of the spot where the body was found were put in.

In the course of evidence, the child ’s mother said that the deceased was four and a-half years old. At the end of September, the accused fell off a hori■zontal bar and injured his back, and w r as unable to do any heavy work around the farm. Witness knew that accused’s father had left him some money, and it was arranged that accused should not. do any work, but should .stay jW at Foster’s and pay fifteen slulling a week board. He got on fairly well with the children, but said that Vera was a bit of a nuisance to him —she was always following him about. About a week before her death, he remarked at the tea-table that she ■would be better off dead, and when witness remonstrated with him he said it would be “one less to keep, anyway.’’ On another occasion he remarked that he would pay half of Vera’s funeral expenses . Witness did not take much notice of these-remarks at the time, because he often used to make remarks like that. He used to get very depressed at times.

Mrs Forster further said that one night a man named Hobbs came to her house. In reply to a question, she said that the accused had not been working and had been (behaving rather strangely of late and 'had not been treating her too well. Next day the accused told her he had been listening. She said she had not said anything very bad about him. He replied, “Mo, I don’t say you did, hut it’s nice to know what your landlady knows about you.” Witness detailed movements of the accused, herself and the child on the day that the child disappeared. The last she saw of the child was with the accused at midday, when she fed the fowls. Witness went on to speak of becoming uneasy when she could not 'see the child. Several times accused was questioned, and once he replied that he did not take her about in Ms pocket. At her request, he went to several houses, looking for her. After the accused had had dinner and witness had returned from another look outside, the accused asked if they were not going -to have a drink of tea. She said they would have it later, and he asked, “Is the finding of the child of more consequence than my lea?” Howevfer, he went out to find Mr Forster, who returned while he was away. Later, when witness saii to the accused that he had not been searching like the rest, he replied that he had done as much as anyone, and told her that the last he had seen of the girl was in the duck pen. Witness learned, about nine o’clock that night, that the body had -been found.

lii 'the preceding three weeks (witness continued) the accused had got noticeably depressed. She had put it down to his .back; also, lie was worrying about getting the lease of a duck farm. He w.as always worrying because he could nob get a- job. Mr Forster also gave -evidence. He said he had not noticed anything peculiar about The accused during the time he was at witness’s house. He did not see much of the accused.