DEATH OF MR P. S. K. MACAŚEY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 22 June 1936, Page 5

DEATH OF MR P. S. K. MACAŚEY

EVIDENCE AT TIIE INQUEST THE CORONER’S FINDING (By Telegraph—Press Association) . . , WELLINGTON, This Day. ; The finding of the coroner in connection with the death of Mr P. S. K. , Macassey at the inquest to-day, was that he shot himself with a rifle while in a state of mental depression. He gathered from the evidence that deceased had been in ill health for spme time, said Mr Gilbertson. He was suffering from an affection of the ear which seriously affected his' hearing. He must have brooded over his deafness, which he reasonablyfeared would prejudice his career as Crown Prosecutor. His natural anxiety culminated in an uncontrolled impulse to end it all and so led . him to commit the fatal act which terminated his life.

j Evidence was given by deceased’s brother. James E. Macassey, of Dune-'' , din, that deceased had been in bad t health for some years and lately had consulted a doctor who informed him , ;, that he would have to undergo an . r . • operation for what he believed to be an ulcer or abscess in the head. Witness noticed that deceased’s condition, was affecting his hearing. He last saw deceased on 18th June, and was then alarmed at his mental and phy- *• sical condition. Witness told of how . ;i he'made an arrangement to meet deceased at his home, but deceased did not turn up, whereupon in company v| with Mr Scott, one of the partners in ?: the firm, he went to his . brother’s j office and found him dead," holding < a rifle in his hands. He was quite satisfied that his brother had committed suicide while in a state of - unsound mind. ■ " .I-' v i.’ To the coroner witness said he'; had never heard his brother make any mention of suicide.

Charles Evans-Scott, a partner, said that deceased had been working hard on the McArthur case and in his opinion one of the causes of deceased’s action was that he felt he could not see the case through.