MURDER CHARGE

Southland Times, Issue 19460, 27 January 1925, Page 6

MURDER CHARGE

THE DUNEDIN CASE. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. (Per United Press Association.) DUNEDIN, January 26. At the Police Court Philip Gordon Sutherland was charged on remand with the murder of John James Ryan. Wilson Jefferson, a farm labourer, stated that deceased was on the Ranfurly-Dunedin train on December 23. When deceased rose to his feet at Middlemarch, he fell on the spitoon badly cutting his head. He seemed stunned for some time. Jeanie Copeland, storekeeper of Dunedin, stated that accused entered her store on the evening of December 23 with another. Ryan came in and asked where to get the car. Accused told him. Both Ryan and accused were under the influence of drink. Ryan said something nasty to accused, who replied: ‘‘What are you coming at?” Later Ryan struck accused and ran from the shop, followed by accused. A minute later witness saw deceased lying on the footpath near the shop and accused kicked him twice on the head. Further evidence was given by eye-wit-nesses of the alleged occurrence and an unsigned statement was produced by the police in which accused stated that he remembered little or nothing of what had happened. He recollected having a fight with a man but could not recall details. He did not remember kicking anyone. Accused, who reserved his defence, was committed for trial at the Supreme Court.