MAN SHOOTS AT HIS WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12834, 6 April 1905, Page 6

MAN SHOOTS AT HIS WIFE.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Thomas Ken.vy, a labourer, residing at Lincoln-street, Ponsonby, was charged before Mr. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., at the Police Court yesterday, with intent to do grievous bodily harm, to Lis wife, Mary Kenny, by discharging a. revolver at her. The accused is a middle-aged man. He was not represented by counsel. Mary Kenny, wife of the accused, said she lived with her husband in Lincolnstreet, Ponsonby. About seven o'clock on Tuesday evening; her husband came home. He was nob sober. They had some words, and he used some very bad language. He accused her daughter of something, but she did not quite understand what, he was talking about. She did not agree with him, so ho got up and said he " was goiHg to put an end to things." He went into the scullery and got a icvolver. He fired a shot through the floor, and said, "Now get." The shot went through the floor about two or three feet from iter. {She then got hold of her child 'and went upstair.", and lie fired another shot. The. bullet in this ca.se struck the wall about live or six feet away. The shot was fired into the wall she had just passed. At this stage the prisoner seemed more amused than anything at the evidence of his wife, and laughed. The magistrate told him rather sharply that it. was no laughing matter. Prosecutrix, continuing, said she then took refuge in a neighbours house and sent for the police. Her husband had told the constable he fired the shots to frighten her. In answer to Sub-Inspector Black, witness said her husband hud repeatedly threatened to shoot her. She lived in fear of her husband carrying out his threat. Prisoner: Ho you fancy you have treated me as a wife should a, husband? The witness said she had. When asked by the prisoner, the witness said she had told him a trivial lie five months ago, but only to save a row. She had afterwards owned up to it. 53usau McCabo said she was renting a room from the former witness. She heard some talk, but as s'he was in Iter own room she could see nobody. She could hear words passing between the wife and husband, and a little later two shots were fired. In answer to the prisonei, the witness said she did not think he treated his wife fairly, while his wife treated him properly. .She had seen his wife slap him across the* face, and lie had not done anything to her. The demeanour of the prisoner had by this time changed, and he seemed somewhat upset, and tears were discernible in his eyes. Constable Dunn said in company with Constable McCouniek he visited the accused's place shortly after eight o'clock. Accused was in the top room having tea. When asked what he had been doing, he said he had fired a shot to frighten his wife. The accused told him where the revolver was, and it was discovered in a coat pocket downstairs. There were 18 cartridges in the pocket. The revolver had two empty cartridges in it. Further questioned, the accused said to witness that if he had wanted to shoot hi.\ wile he could easily have done it. Witness then arrested him, and accused said "Very good, I am verypleased. We will have, it all out in Court." When he examined the house that morning he saw a bullet hole in the floor of the kitchen, but. could find no truce of the. second bullet. Jit answer to prisoner, the constable said lie had only looked in the kitchen. I'lisouer: You will find it in the diningroom. One shot was fired in the, kitchen and the other in the dining-room. Constable McCormick gave corroborative evidence. In answer to the prisoner, lie said prisoner's wife had said she would not like to sec him arrested. When prisoner was asked if he had anything to say, he implied that ihe charge was wrong, as there was no intent to shoot his wife, and where there was no intent there was no guilt. lie was committed for trial, the magistrate remarking that it was not a case for bail.