COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 258, 29 September 1945, Page 7

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE. (Press Assn.) NELSON, Sept. 28. On a charge of attempted murder of her husband at Hope on August 31, Corona Effie Webby today pleaded lint guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court at Nelson for trial. When accused's counsel (Mr M. Ott) .•isked for bail, the Magistrate (Mr Maunsell) commented that if there was any chance of husband and wife coming together again he would not allow bail. The Magistrate said he was not prepared to grant bail unless some guarantee was given that they could be kept apart. He gave Mr Ott leave to renew the application on Monday Accused's husband, Keith Webby, gave evidence that on the day before the shooting all the family, including his wife, were engaged in fencing a pea paddock. All were on excellent terms. They had soup for tea that night and after tasting it he did not continue to oat it as it did not taste very nice. He retired to bed first at 9.30 and slept in the double bed. His wife took the single bed. When the alarm clock went off at 6.15 a.m. his wife left the room, returning in a few minutes. He did not open his eyes but heard a clicking noise, after which his head felt funny and he could feel blood.

Continuing, Webby said that he had found the work of the farm was taking all his time and his wife took over the financial business. Up to two months ago he thought that his truck had been paid for. Early in August his wife informed him that the truckhad been borrowed by a relative, but when it was not returned he sent her to make inquiries. She later stated that it was in Nelson for repairs.

Intending to build a glasshouse on the farm, he had ordered £175 worth of glass from a Nelson firm. The glass was to be paid for on delivery and he arranged for his wife to take out a mortgage on their Monaco property. He did not get the money, but did not find this out till about two months ago- , . Finally bo told bar to see about the truck and bring it home. Later his wife had informed- him "that the truck bad been taken to pay for the glass. She. stated that it had been sold for £4OO and she would be getting the balance over what was paid for the glass. She later brought home a car which she said she had bought with the balance of the money. He now knew the glass had been repossessed by the firm on the morning that he was shot and he now also knew that the car had been taken back by the firm from which it was obtained. After leaving hospital he discovered his wife had obtained £146 from a guaran tee corporation on the truck. Shown four letters, he said they were not written by him and he was not aware of sums totalling £278 having been borrowed from a Nelson firm in his name. Webby said he remembered a fortnight before his injury that he had not drunk hi-s coffee at supper time owing to its taste and on the following day he did not drink his bottle of tea which ho took to work on account of its taste. There was some discussion in June about getting strychnine for poisoning rabbits, but ho did not know his wife had purchased one ounce of strvehnino in August. Henry Francis West, chemist, produced an entry in the poison register on August 7 when accused was supplied with an ounce bottle of strychnine. Accused had said she was sent by the Agricultural Department to obtain rabbit poison. In answer to the Magistrate the seniorscrgeant said there was an accusation that accused had tried to poison as well as shoot her husband.