MURDER CHARGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24750, 29 October 1941, Page 6

MURDER CHARGE

DEATH OF STOREKEEPER CASE AGAINST MAORI SUPREME COURT TRIAL (PJU WANGANUI, Oct. 28. Thirteen of the 17 Crown witnesses were heard to-day in the trial of Pipi Katene, a Native labourer, aged 28, who is charged with the murder at Waitotara, on August 4, of Arthur Harding Parkinson, storekeeper, aged 79 ; The trial Js expected to end to-morrow afternoon. Parkinson was found dead at the back of his store with a bloodstained mallet and axe nearby. Mr Justice Smith is on the bench. Mr V. B. Willis appeared for the accused. Mr N. R. Bain, the Crown prosecutor, outlining the case, said it was not necessary for the Crown to establish a motive. The evidence would show that JCatene had not worked very much.* He had been receiving social security benefits and these had been stopped because be had not taken the work offered him. He was regarded by the department as voluntarily unemployed. The safe and cash box in Parkinson’s store had been rifled and cash and cheques stolen. ' ■ Crown’s Allegations

The Crown alleged, counsel said, that the accused entered the store, hit the old man over the head with a mallet, and then killed him with an axe. The accused was connected with the crime by finger-prints, by'cheques found in his possession, and by a statement made to the police after being cautioned..

: Dr P. : P. Lynch, pathologist, of Wellington,' said the injuries on Parkinson were consistent with the use of a mallet, the back of an axe and the blade of an axe.

Senior-sergeant E. W. Dinnie, fingerprint expert, of Wellington, produced photographs of fingerprints found on the mallet and torch. These were identical with Katene’s.

Replying to a question by his Honor, Witness said that palm prints were just as individual as fingerprints. Identical Fingerprints

Mr Willis: Are you definitely able to say that these are Katene's prints? Witness: From my experience, which is now more than 38 years, I have found that where six or more points of similarity agree in two fingerprints, those prints are identical. In other words, I have never yet found dissimilar fingerprints to contain six points of identity.; . , • , . Mr Willis: .You were a fingerprint expert in the Dennis Gunn case irt Auckland? ’ Witness: That is so.

Mr Willis: Can you tell us whether you had nine or more points of similarity in that case? Witness; There were a number of fingerprints in that case. One on a ;Cashbox had 40. points of similarity. Another, on the chamber of a revolver, had about 12. Witness said .that the palm print found pn the mallet discovered near Parkinson’s body was slightly under average. The timber was jarrah and the palm print was in blood. Witness was satisfied that Katelie had handled the mallet and the torch.