PHILLIS SYMONS CASE

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1931, Page 6

PHILLIS SYMONS CASE

TRIAL OF GEORGE COATS GIRL’S LETTER TO PARENTS. EVIDENCE CONTINUED. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) WELLINGTON, This Day. The ease in which George Errol Coats is charged with the murder of Phillis Symons was continued yesterday afternoon.

Alan Campbell Melville, a taxidriver, gave evidence of his acquaintance with Coats and the girl Symons. Coats told him of the girl’s condition. Melville recalled John D. Glover bringing him a letter from the girl to her parents. It was found under a matjtress after her disappearance. Answering counsel for accused, Melville said it looked as if Glover knew all about the letter. Witness said he thought Glover would hand the letter to the girl’s parents. When he saw the father, some days later he told him about it.

Mrs Isabella McKenna, of Adelaide Road, said she let a room to Coats on Monday, Juno 29. He stayed until July 6. No girl came to see him. Ho once told her he could not sleep be'cause he had been working a lot with wireless.

Mrs Olive Irene Smith, who let rooms in another house in Adelaide Koad, said she let a room to Coats and Phillis Symons in April. Some time later .Coats said, when the gas bill was mentioned, that he would have to send his wife home if prospects did not improve. On Friday evening, June 26, Mrs Smith said she heard Coats and Phillis go out. After 10 o’clock she heard footsteps returning. The following day, when she spoke to Coats about the rent, he said he had sent his wi?6 home. Pound Door Docked. The girl -was on good terms with her, continued witness. . She had never mentioned her intention of returning home. On the Monday Coats said he was leaving for a place in Brougham Street. His wife w T ould be back later to clear up. Mrs Smith said she was surprised, to find the door locked. De Maine came With the f key in the evening. A > pair of slippers, a string of beads and two pairs of boots founK In the room he later handed to the'police.

Whefi she kept a small greengrocery,' said Mrs Smith, she had got six sacks) of vegetables, all marked. On July, 18 •the 'police' checked the invoices with five sacks. The missing sack was numbered 16, similar to the one shown her by the police. Answering counsel for accused, Mrs Smith said Goats and Phillis always seemed affectionate. Both behaved quite well. She. never saw any sign of quarrel. Maurice Eric Teeling, Mrs Smith’s son-in-law, said he heard Mr and Mrs Coats going out on June 20. He identified the sack' produced as one containing vegetables he had bought for Mrs Smith. After further evidence, Mrs Smith was recalled by counsel for accused. She said she would have seen a letter projecting from the mattress. To his Honour witness said she had not seen Glover come to the house before she cleared the room. She understood he had come to the house in the meantime and found the letter. Burial of Dog.

Lancelot Lee, a fellow-worker of Coats’ at Hataitai, described the burial of a dog; by a young man who brought it along. Lee said he visited Coats’ room on June 25, when de Maine, Glover, Coats and Phillis were there. On June 27, Lee said, Coats told him Phillis had gone back to her brother’s. Noel Evan Barbery said he reealle.d having buried a dog at the Hataitai ; works. '

James Edward Taylor, carrier, said he had called openly for Coats’ luggage. Anybody could have opened the box.

The Court adjourned until ten o’clock this morning. Dr. P. Lynch, pathologist at the Wellington Hospital, this morning described the - position of the body of Phillis Avis Symons •when he was called to the spot where it -was found. In company with Dr. Hector, he made a post-mortem examination. There had been normal, uninterrupted pregnancy. Describing the head injuries, witness said that although they w r ere deepseated, there was no fracture of the underlying bone. Doctor Lynch said there were no marks of throttling on the neck. He summarised his findings as follows: Deceased was struck a blow below ithe right temple, also a blow or a series of blows on the back of the head and nCck. The injuries were caused about the same time. Either would have caused unconsciousness and either would have caused death. The immediate cause of death was asphyxia due to the stomach contents being vomited into the windpipe. Witness thought the scarf which was

. round the girl's head had been placed / in position to lessen the sound of stertorous breathing or other noises. Ho was of opinion that the scarf was deliberately placed and he did not think a conscious person would have permitted it to have been placed there. His finding, witness said, suggested that the girl had been buried alive. ‘The injuries in his own opinion could not have been self-inflicted nor could they have been caused by falling down

an embankment. If there had been a fall he would expect to see some abrasions on the face or knees.

Cross-examined, Dr Lynch said he could not imagine that multiple injuries on the back of the head could be caused in any other way than by a blow or blows. In his experience suicide by falling from a height was very uncommon.

Witness was questioned at length regarding the possibility of the injuries being caused by the girl throwing herself over a bank, but he was of opinion that, taken in conjunction, the injuries were not consistent with suicide.