ATTEMPTED MURDER

Otago Witness, Issue 3566, 18 July 1922, Page 60

ATTEMPTED MURDER

THE LAMBERT CASE. CROSS AN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL HAMILTON, July 12. In the Police Court William Alexander Crossan, a young man, was charged with the attempted murder of Detective Lambert, with having discharged a revolver at Leo Jury, and on five counts of breaking, entering, and theft Detective Lambert stated that, he investigated certain burglaries, and went to Frank-t-on Junction railway station, where he saw accused, who admitted stealing the boots which he was wearing. Subsequently witness searched accused’s room. amCfound a sandbag, a jemmy, pliers, cartridges, and also stolen clothing, which accused admitted stealing- In reply to questioning, accused said that the revolver was stolen from a store and hidden in a gully at Tamahere, four miles out. The party went out in a car driven by Leo Jury and searched for the revolver without success. Witness gave orders to leace on the return to Hamilton, and witness and Constable Sutton were getting under the .fc-nce when accused, without warning, said: “Put your hands up,” and presented a revolver. Witness was advancing upon accused, when the latter told him to stand or he would be shot. Witness told accused not to be silly, and continued to advance. Accused then ordered Jury to get into the car. Jury ran away, and accused points the revolver at him and pulled the trigger, but the weapon failed to discharge. Jury called out, “It’s all right, it is not loaded.” Accused answered, “It is,” and fired a shot into the ground. Witness by this time bad approached within three feet, arid made an attempt to secure the revolver. He secured a slight hold on the weapon. Accused then ordered him to stand off and threatened to shoot, adding that be was desperate and did not want to live. He then wrenched the revolver from witness’s right grasp, stepped back a few paces, and fired, shooting witness in the abdomen. The shot was a deliberate one; there could be no suggestion that the revolver went off accidentally during a struggle. After firing the shot accused bolted up the hill, but was secured by the police. In answer to a question, witness said that accused was perfectly sober, cool, and collected the whole time. Dr Gower said that the bullet in Lambert had not been located, but the injury was consistent with having been shot. Corroborative evidence was given by Constable Sutton, who said thjit accused admitted afterwards having had the revolver all the time. He said tnat he loaded it in the lavatory of the Royal Hotel, where he was allowed to go on the way out to Tamahere. Leo Jury also gave corroborative evidence. Accused pleaded guilty to the burglary and theft charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of the attempted murder of Detective Lambert and discharging a revolver at Leo Jury. Accused reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.