CHARGE OF MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27384, 9 May 1950, Page 8

CHARGE OF MURDER

Young Man On Trial CROWN CASE OUTLINED PA AUCKLAND, May 8. The trial of Chesley Lachlan Brooks, aged 20, a labourer and former English seaman, on a charge of murdering Frederick Stanley Hodgson, aged 59, a dairy company bacteriologist, at Onepu, near Whakatane, on February 13, began in the Supreme Court today before Mr Justice Finlay and a jury. A good-looking, dark-haired man, dressed in a blue suit, Brooks showed little nervousness, and replied to the charge in a clear voice. Only a few members of the public, mostly women, heard the proceedings. The exhibits included a sawn-off shotgun, a rifle, and belts of ammunition. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr V. R. Meredith, said that when Hodgson did not return home from work on the evening of February 13, his wife next morning reported the fact to the police. Hodgson’s body was found the next evening, buried under a heap of sand. There was a bqllet hole in the chest. Mr Meredith stated that Brooks deserted from a ship in New Zealand about May 1948, and later worked for the Hyaro-electric Department. A man called Moses, who was a leading hand there, apparently earned the accused’s hatred. The accused allegedly said Moses laughed when the accused hurt his foot and called him a “Pommie.” For some days before the tragedy, the accused was off work with a minor complaint, and was due to return on February 13. Moses was also due back from holiday. The accused knew this and had already said he would not work with Moses. Mr Meredith said both Moses and Hodgson had blue cars, but the vehicles were not similar. Brooks was very interested in guns, and was seen firing them. A target was found with cartridge cases lying about, and it was alleged that they wsre fired from the sawn-off shotgun witt which Hodgson was shot.

Mr Meredith read a statement allegedly made by Brooks when seen by the police in Wellington. “ I could not understand the malice from Moses,” the statement ran. “He was very humiliating and called me a Pommie until he got on my nerves. I thought I would kill him, so I used some of the money, with which I was going to pay my fare, to Africa to join the Rhodesian police, on a rifle, a shotgun and ammunition for practice.” Th statement described how, after dreaming of Moses, the accused allegedly waited on a road junction thinking of him. When he saw a car coming he signalled the driver to stop. “1 went to the door of the car, and instead of the original driver, I saw Moses,” he said. He fired, and when the smoke cleared away he saw an elderly gentleman sitting' there with a hole through his chest. Continuing, Mr Meredith said that in his statement Brooks admitted firing the shot that killed Hodgson, and although he interpolated some stuff about a vision of Moses, even .if he did kill the wrong man it was still murder. William Clive Fletcher, foreman fitter, said that on February 8 or 9 Brooks had discussed going camping ‘‘He had a terrible lot of ammunition, to my way of thinking,” said witness. “He said he was going deer stalking. He had been collecting camping gear since about Christmas.” William Charles Moses, leading hand fitter, said that Brooks had been to his home many times and had had quite a few meals with him. “If he suggested I did not like him, I don’t know why,” said witness. Florence Maud Hodson, widow, said she had never heard her husband speak of Brooks. The trial will continue tomorrow.