ALLEGED OFFER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23117, 16 August 1938, Page 14

ALLEGED OFFER

COURT CASE WITNESS CHARGE AGAINST.LABOURER THE COURSE OF JUSTICE ACCUSED SENT FOR TRIAL labourer, Ernest Joseph Holland, appeared on summons before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday in answer to a charge of wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice. It was alleged that 011 July 3, at Glen Afton, he attempted to persuade Jean May Holland to give false evidence when Appearing as a witness for the Crown in the Supreme Court at Auckland during tho trial in July of Margaret Wilson, charged with unlawfully using an iinstrument or some other means to procure a certain result. Detective-Sergeant McHugh prosecuted and Mr. Schramm appeared for accused. Evidence was given that on May 16 Jean May Simpson appeared as a witness during the trial of Margaret Wilson on the charge referred to. The jury disagreed and, at the new trial, which took place on July 22, evidence •was given by Jean May Holland, nee Simpson. , Detective Quotes Statement

Detective-Sergeant J. Trethewey said that on July 19 he interviewed accused, who made a signed statement in the presence of two witnesses. In the statement, which witness read in evidence, accused said that about three •weeks before the date of his interview Tvith witness he was driven to Mrs. "Wilson's house in Newton in a taxi. There were two other people in the cab whose names he did not wish io disclose. "I had never been to Mrs. Wilson's place before," accused stated, "and did not know her, but I knew she was the woman who had been charger) with using an instrument on my sister-in-law, Tean Holland. "The two people who had come to the house with me," accused continued, "mentioned Mrs. Wilson's case and suggested that I go down to Glen Afton and see my sister-in-law, Jean Holland, with a view to trying to get her to change her evidence against Mrs. Wilson." A Visit Described About two hours later, accused stated, Mrs. Wilson arrived and he met her for the nrst time. She had made no mention of the case at all. On the following morning, he was driven to Glen Afton, where lie told jean Holland that some people had sent him to ask if she would accept £SO to say she did not see an instrument. No mention was made of evidence, but accused stated he was referring to her evidence at the Supreme Court retrial of Mrs. Wilson on the charge referred to. On the following Tuesday his sister-in-law and her husband met him in Auckland. Accused said he ; was very pleased to see hor and stated he had been very worried during the .last few days concerning the interview he had had with her.

"Jean said to me 'I will not commit perjury for anybody,' " accused stated. "I told her I was very pleased to hear it. I said that had I not been drinking at the time I would have had nothing to do "with it. I then rang Airs. Wilson and told her what my sister-in-law had 6aid. In reply she said '.Oh, well,' and rang off." Bail Granted Accused concluded by stating that at the.time he took part in the discussions lie was not aware it was an offence to try to get a witness to alter evidence. If the £SO had been accepted he was, to get nothing out of the transaction. - Corroborative evidence was also given by Jean May Holland and her husband, William Joseph Holland. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.- Bail was fixed at £IOO and one surety of £IOO.