SERIOUS CHARGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23931, 5 October 1939, Page 6

SERIOUS CHARGES

CHEMIST PLEADS NOT GUILTY COMMITTED FOR TRIAL (Peb United Press • Association; HASTINGS, Oct; 4. Seven witnesses were called for the Crown when the hearing of the charges agaS Godfrey ColdtfeU, * Butang chemist, arising from the death or Muriel Esther Reichlet, was resumed before Mr J. Miller. S.M., in the Magistrate's Court this morning. The Ch i ar That W o e n e o7about June 17,. at Hastings, he did unlawfully supply to Muriel Esther Reichlet a certain poisonous thing, knowing that it was to be unlawfully used with intent to procure the miscarriage of Muriel Reichlet. ._ , ' 2-<i*±J* 2, That on or about July 19, at ■Hastings, he did improperly interfere with the dead human body of Muriel Esther Reichlet. ■ . " The accused pleaded not guilty to both charges and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail of £3OO in his own recognisance and two sureties of £l5O each was renewed. Two statements made by the accused to the police were produced by Detective Sergeant Revell. In the first the accused described visits paid by the deceased to him, but denied knowledge of where she might have been on the night of her death. The story in the second statement was made following a subsequent interview with the police. The accused admitted that the deceased had visited his shop that night, and said that when he made his first statement he was not concerned with what might happen to him, but was afraid that the publicity might have a detrimental affect on his father and his wife. The accused told the deceased that it was foolish of her to be fooling about and that she would have to have the baby. He made inquiries about homes where she could have her baby, but he knew of none. She had then said she thought she was going to faint and had started to collect her bag and other things. She then collapsed into a chair, but he was not greatly concerned as she had halffainted in his shop on a previous occasion. He had given her smelling sajts, but these and other efforts to bring her round failed and he then realised that she had died. The statement continued: — " I lost my head completely then, and I cannot remember mraucn of what I did thereafter. There was no pulse or sign of any breathing or heart beat. I wondered whaj; to do, but could not think what to do, as I was wry agitated and could not think clearly., My one concern was to avoid any scandal being attached to the shop, as it would have a very detrimental effect on my father. Eventually I took my car around to the alleyway at the back of the shop and put the deceased into it. I started to drive her home to her mother, but when I got near Gray's road I simply could not face her mother, so I put her on the roadside in Avenue road. That would be about 9.30 p.m." Evidence was given which showed that the body was found on the roadside at 6 o'clock next morning. After other evidence had been heard, accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.