BEDSIDE COURT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24178, 21 January 1942, Page 4

BEDSIDE COURT

FURTHER EVIDENCE ALLEGED STABBING WOMAN CROSS-EXAMINED Further evidence was taken at the bedside of a woman who was allegedly stabhed by her husband at Otahuhu on January 14, when a special sitting of the Police Court was held before Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., at the Auckland Hospital yesterday. The accused was William Weir, labourer, aged 20 (Mr. Aekins), who was charged with the attempted murder of his wife, Phyllis Rose Weir, aged 26. Mrs. Weir's evidence was taken at a sitting on Thursday, and yesterday's proceedings consisted of a two-hour cross-examination by counsel. "I was married to Harry Ernest Stirling in 1937," Mrs. Weir said. " I lived with' him for three years, and there were four children. I had had a row with Stirling over another man, my present husband." "• Dislike Expressed Witness said she stayed in town for two weeks after leaving her second husband, and met him on two occasions. She told him . then she would never go back to live with him if he was the last man on earth, as she disliked him intensely. She bad never asked accused for maintenance, but he gave her £2 10s at Christmas, and later, at her request, another 10s. Witness denied saying she had an important engagement on the night her husband asked her to go to his married sister's place. Before they were married he told her his sister did not like her. "I just told him 1 didn't want to go into the school grounds and he just lost his temper." witness said in reference to the alleged stabbing at Otahuhu. "I cannot elaborate it more than that. I cannot remember whether he pulled the knile out before I crossed the road. He was concerned about me and told me I needed a doctor." Sold Engagement Ring Accused bought her an engagement ring and a wedding ring, witness continued, and she sold the engagement ring while she was still with her husband at the boarding house, telling him she had lost it Witness also pawned the wedding ring for 8s 6d when she was staying in town*On her husband's first payday he gave her the £8 8s he received" for a fortnight's work at the railway workshops. She herself received £3 ss, a week Avith overtime and tax taken off for her job at the freezing works. Their joint income for the fortnight was £l4. Twice before they were married witness broke off the engagement, as she did not think enough of him. „ "I was paying my mother 15s a week for my daughter and my aunt 10s a week for things I had from her shop." witness went on. "That would still leave about £6 10s. Board for the two of us cost about £6 a fortnight." Hearing Adjourned Mr. Aekins: You gave your husband about 6s a week back for tobacco? Witness: 1 can't remember. In answer to a question bv the prosecutor, Detective-Sergeant Walsh, witness denied that she had even been on intimate terms with a man before she married accused. He stayed at the samp boarding house At this stage an adjournment was taken, and accused was remanded to appear on Monday.