KAITAIA TRAGEDY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 241, 12 May 1933, Page 6

KAITAIA TRAGEDY

Crown Case Closes OPENING OF DEFENCE Press Association. —Copyright. Auckland, May 11. The Crown case was closed and the defence opened in the Supreme Court j to-day in the trial of Riwi Manuel, aged ,'l7, charged with the murder of Hali Robson, a Maori dairy farmer at Pukepoto, near Kaitaia, on January 8. The case, the hearing of which commenced on Monday, is being tried by Mr. Justice Herdman. Twenty-nine witnesses were hoard for the prosecution. For the defence Mr. Trimmer contended a very grave mistake had been made. The Crown had made a feature of suggesting as a motive that the boy had a grudge against Robson dating back to July last. The defence would produce evidence to show that the boy was happy and satisfied at Robson's. All of Manuel's actions were definitely not those of a guilty boy. Counsel proposed to tender evidence that if Manuel had shot Robson the whole of the Maori instincts I in him would have prevented him from ] running back to tend him. I His Honour: What authority have you , Jor giving evidence of that kind? ! Mr. Trimmer: I have no authority, j His Honour: Of course not. You can J search and you cannot find any. I Mr. Trimmer argued the point of the ', admissibility of the evidence of the capaI city of observation of some of the Crown i witnesses. I His Honour said he had heard more I novel propositions on the subject of evi- ; dence that day than ever before. "You ought to know better, Mr. Trimmer, than to tender such evidence," he said. Mr. Trimmer asked that the matter be discussed in chambers, but his Honour ruled that the proposed evidence was inadmissible. The defence called several witnesses before the case was adjourned till tomorrow.