PICTON MURDER CHARGE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1932, Page 9

PICTON MURDER CHARGE

TRIAL OF TARRANT BEGINS OLD MAN ALMOST DECAPITATED. CROWN CASE MAY LAST WEEK. . MANY WITNESSES TO BE CALLED. By Telegraph-—Preus Association. Blenheim, Last Night. Extraordinary public interest was shown this morning in the trial at the Supreme Court, before His Honour Mr. Justice Blair, of Edward Tarrant, who is charged with the murder, at Picton, on November 3, 1931, of an old man named James Flood. Large crowds of people assembled around the court house at an early hour, but many of them could not be admitted. The accommodation available was almost fully occupied by the unusually large panel of jurymen who had been summoned in anticipation of a free exercise of the right of challenge. Mr, P. S. K. Macassey, with him Mr. A. A. Macnab, appeared for the Crown, while the prisoner was represented by Mr. Evan Parry, with him Mr. A. E. L. Scantlebiiry. ‘ , The Crown is to call between 54 and 60 witnesses, so that the trial is likely to occupy a considerable time. The victim of the tragedy, who was known to keep in a wallet in his possession a sum of about £lOOO, mainly in old-style £2O and £lO notes, lived alone in a two-room-ed cottage in Canterbury Street, Picton, with, neighbours fairly handy on all sides. He was last seen alive on the evening of November 3. Forty-eight hours later some neighbours, realising that they had not seen Flood about for a considerable period, made investigations which resulted in the discovery of his body, practically decapitated, lying in the living room of the cottage. One door of the cottage had been locked after the tragedy and a curious discovery a few days later was that of the door key, which was found lying on the edge of the Picton Croquet Club's lawn. When the tragedy was discovered the old man’s wallet, which he had carried in a specially-buttoned inside coat pocket, was missing. \ ... The Crown Prosecutor in a lengthy address to the jury stressed the. points which would be brought out in the evidence on which the Crown principally relied. He spoke for two hours, after Which the Crown proceeded to call evidence. Three witnesses were called, a surveyor, a police photographer and Constable Condon, the officer in charge at Picton. The constable detailed the finding of the body and conversations With Tarrant, and produced Police Court records showing that Tarrant had been sued repeatedly and was in a parlous financial position. It will probably be a week or more before the Crown case is completed and the defence opened.