MURDER ALLEGED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17408, 5 November 1930, Page 8

MURDER ALLEGED

THE COLERIDGE TRAGEDY COLBNSO ON TRIAL THE CASE FOR THE GROWN (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The Lake Coleridge murder trial opened in tho Supreme Court this morning before the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Mvres, when Alfred Stanley Colonso, 32, a. laborer, pleaded not guilty to a charge that on September 3 he murdered Robert William Cockburli. Mr Laseelles appeared for prisoner, with him Mr Stacey. Evidence given was on the lines of that in the Lower Court. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. A. T. Donnelly, said that the Crown submitted that 'the accused shot Cockburn and meant to kill luni- .

After describing the general circumstances, Mr. Donnelly said the accused and his mate, Farquiiarson, were carrying swags and they stopppecl about three miles down the Coleridge road and rested in a shingle pit. Cockburn inter hoarded a lorry which passed the shingle pit and stopped about 60 yards further along the road. Cockburn went back lo the shingle pit. and that was the last seen of him alive by any persons other than the accused or Farquhurson. At 2.10 p.m. Cockburn was found dead on ttio road with a bullet wound in the chest. It was apparent that death had come on him suddenly, because as he lay on (lie road he was holding a freshly-filled pipe in his right: hand ahd a box of matches in the other. The Crown’s first submission was tie statement made hv tho accused himself: on the day of his arrest. Farquiiarson, 1 continued Mr. Donnelly, would say that earlier in the day the accused and he weht out together and returned for lunch. After the accused and Farquharson had left, Cockburn caught them up at tin, shingle pit, where Cockburn accused them both of stealing a billy and demanded that they tip out their swags. When they refused Cockburn' repeated foul language. Farquiiarson said be had his hack to the accused and Cockburn when he heard a shot. "There is no doubt,” added Dir. Donnelly, “that in tho first place the accused shot Cockburn. They had had some row or argument prior to the shooting. Tho accused pointed a rifle at Cockburn and undoubtedly shot him. Those facts are perfectly simple, and almost undisputed. I am bound to submit to you that there is nothing in the accused’s or Farquharson’s evidence to justify tho shooting of this unfortunate man, nor in any way excuse it. It is submitted that the accused shot Cockburn and that the proper inference is that the accused meant to kill him, and that the whole of the facts are that the accused committed the crime of murder. It is necessary for the protection of the public that violent acts with firearms must bo put down.” (Proceeding.)