Inquest on Body of Child

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 57, 9 March 1937, Page 7

Inquest on Body of Child

Mrs Ayes Refuses to Answer At Inquest MAY INCRIMINATE HER. (From Our Own Correspondent) HASTINGS, Last Night. The final chapter arising out of the poflice investigations following the finding of the body of a female child on June 26 at the rear of a residence in Fitzroy Avenue, Hastings, which led eventually to Mrs Isabel Annie Aves undergoing four trials in the Supreme Court on certain charges, in which no agreement was reached, was written at the Hastings Ccxurtho use this morning when the inquest, opened and adjourned on June 27 last, was resumed. Mrs Aves was called upon to give evidence, hut refused to answer the questions on the grounds that they might incriminate her, and the District Coroner, Mr Geo. Ebbett,J.P., did not prees the matter. A feature of the proceedings noted by the Coroner was that he was unable to answer with any degree of exactitude the three particular points required of him—viz., the when and where and by what means the child came to its death.

Detective B. Farquharsoa conducted! the proceedings ou behalf of the police and Mr. E. G, C. Barker represented Mrs. Aves.

The evidence of Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist, which was taken when the inquest opened, was read. In this he said that he was present when the body of a female infant was disinterred at the residence of Isabel Annie Aves, in Fitzroy Avenue. Later he conducted a post mortem and an examination revealed that a lung floated readily in water, and therefore the child had breathed. The body was 18 inches in length and weighed 41bs. 6ozs. There were no marks of violence on the body. Witness was unable to form an opinion in the meantime of the cause of death. “It is within my personal knowledge that immediately following the discovery of the body disinterred by; police officers from the ground in a yard attached to a dwelling-house occupied by Mrs. Isobel Annie Aves and her husband, every exhaustive and extensive inquiries were made in Hastings and adjacent districts by the members of the Police Force in en effort to discover the time and place and cause of the child’s death,” said Detective Farquharson in his evidence. “These inquiries were all unsuccessful in achieving this object, and in my opinion the evidence which the police were able to obtain is not sufficient to establish the place or date or cause of death. Lime had been plnced with the body and there was little or no evidence of putrefaction. From my own observation I consider that it had been buried only a very short time prior to the date upon which it was exhumed.” Mrs. Aves Called. Stating that it was hie duty ns /coroner la probe to tho bottom of the ' case, Mr. Ebbett said that from the evidence before him it was only natural to assume that ono of the occupiers of the premises would knew something about it, and accordingly he proposed to call Mrs. Aves to give evidence Entering the witness box Mrs. Aves said she was a married woman now residing at Westshor«. The Coroner: You have heard the evidence of the pathologist and the police, Mrs. Aves, can you toll me first, when the child died! Mr. Harker: I ant afraid, Sir, that I must instruct the witness not to answer that question on the grounds that it might incriminate her. Notwithstanding charges that have already been heard, it is possible that from her evidence other charges might be made. The Coroner: 1 anticipated this answer, Mr. Harker, but I propose to ask further questions to satisfy ms on other points. To the witness: Can you give me any information as to the cause of the child’s deatht Mr. Harker: The answer is as before, Sir. The Coroner: Can you tell me how the body came to be where it was found f Mr. Harker: It is the same answer, Sir. “The circumstance? of this case are well known, and it is quite possible that other charges might emanate from 6uch evidence that could be given here,I*’ 1 *’ said Mr. Ebbett. “I anticipated the answers to the questions, but I merely wish to record the fact that the witness refused to give the information and will leave the matter at that.”

Giving his decision, the Coroner said It was obvious that there was not sufficient evidence to enable him to find definitely any of the three things he was required to find. 4 ‘The assumption is strong, however, that the child died in Hastings,” he said, “but the actual date of the death I have not been able to find definitely. From my own observations, and these are confirmed by that of the police officer, I am confident that the body was placed where it was found within three or four day*, of it being discovered. There is not sufficient evidence to show the cause of death, and it might easily have been from natural causes. “My verdict will be that this unidentified fomale died at Hastings on a date between June 22 and June 26, .1936, and there is not sufficient evidence to determine the cause of death,” concluded Mr. Ebbett.