BAYLY ON TRIAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12567, 7 February 1934, Page 5

BAYLY ON TRIAL.

JUDGE’S ADDRESS TO GRAND JURY. THE RUAWARO MURDERS. Electric Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, Last Night. A case of outstanding interest tor hearing at the Supreme Court sessions which opened to-day is a double charge of murder against William Alfred Bayly. Justice Herdman, ' in His charge to the Grand Jury, said- -‘Bayly is charged with murdering two people—a man named Lakey, and his wife, at Ruawaro. The case is of great importance and you must consider the evidence with very great care. Each case must be considered separately. I do not propose to go into the evidence at great length because I think it is undesirable that I should do so hut I do propose to refer to it briefly ” In outlining the Crown’s tions the Judge said that expert, medical evidence would be called to prove that Mrs Lakey had been struck a severe blow on the chin and then placed in a duckpond—probably dragged, for her clothes were up—and drowned. The duty of the Crown would be to prove that both the Lakeys were killed He had no doubt at all that the Grand Jury would conclude that this was certainly a case to go to a common jury, ihe evidence would show that not long after the discovery of the dead woman accused suggested that Lakey, on coming back to the house and finding his wife dead, had taken to the bush with his gun. But two guns were found in a swamp on accused s property. One was a shotbelonging to Lakev and the 0t was u P ea ~ r .ifle belonging to another man, which was kept in Lakey s house. The discovery of the * K 'rrM l l ” e was gjeat importance Ihe judge said when a pair of dungarees was seized bv the police at Bayly s place a cartridge shell dropped from a pocket and expert evidence would be called to prove r.i *e shell was fired from one of the guns found in the swamp Another point for the -Grand Jury’s attention was the evidence that about the time that Lakev disappeared smoke was seen coming >rom accused s property. There would also be evidence of apparatus which bad apparently been used as an incinerator, and the Crown would allege that boned list was found in it A considerable, quantity of bone Had been found on accused’s property and medical experts would say that it was human bone. The judge mentioned also the discovery oi pieces ol a watch and a. patent lighter on Bayly s property, and said the Crown alleged that the lighting material in the lighter was manufactured from a . pici-e <>i cotton which, came from a work-basket I keys. In addition, blood miaks bad been found on the premises and Oil a vehicle, and it would seem that an attempt had been made to remove these stains. It was suggested that a knife and steel found in acceused’s possession were used 1 here were also track marks of some vehicle coming away from Lakeys m the direction of' BayJvs. 'ne judge concluded that there was ample material to warrant the returning of a true hill