FAMILY FIRED AT

Northern Advocate, 4 May 1933, Page 4

FAMILY FIRED AT

TWO SHOTS DISCHARGED

TE PUKE SENSATION,

YOUNG MAN ON TRIAL.

(Special to "Northern Aflvocate.”} AUCKLAND, This Day. Colin Alfred Jensen is on- trial before Mr. Justice Smith and a jury on a charge that, on March 26, he attempted to murder Frederick Sydney Broad, and on several less serious

charges. Mr. Weston, for the Crown, said the accused, aged 25, was a sharemilker near To Puke, and had lived about 12 miles from the Broad family. It is alleged that on the night of March- 26 he took a revolver belonging to. someone else and fired two shots into the room in which four members of the Broad family wore sitting at supper. Accused and Miss Avis Broad had been friendly, and he had asked her to marry him. She refused, on the grounds that she was not thinking of marriage. They parted good friends, and there was no ill-feeling between accused and any of the Broad family. It is alleged that accused procured a revolver from a whare where George Broad slept and fired the shot. One shot struck a picture and the other the wall. The Broad family endeavoured to telephone the police from a neighbour’s house, but found the telephone wire had boon cut. Next morning a detective found, near the house, a pair of pliers. He interviewed aeeused who, it is alleged, ultimately admitted that he did the shooting, saying his reasons for firing into the room was because ho wanted to frighten the occupants. Accused also said the girl Avis had told lies about him. Evidence was given by acensecVs young brother that on March 26 ho bought cartridges for accused, who, as far as he knew, had no gun or rcvdlycr. Members of the Broad family. * described the shooting, and said they knew no reason why' accused should want to shoot them. Avis Broad, cross-examined, said that the reason why accused and she had parted was because of talk. There had been considerable talk .going on on both sides.

Detective White stated' that accused said to him: “I did it. I am bad. I can’t help it.” Accused admitted that he cut the telephone wire, and‘expressed sorrow for everythin" he had done.

Addressing the jury, the Crown prosecutor said an important factor to consider was that of intent. The shots went perilously near the head of Broad senior. In the prosecutor’s opinion they were particularly good shots. He suggested that accused intended to do harm to some member of the familv.