MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20536, 30 September 1936, Page 11

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE

MINER TO STAND TRIAL SEQUEL TO DEATH OF FISHERMAN By Telegraph—Press* Association DUNEDIN, September 29 The Magistrate’s Court proceedings were concluded to-day on the manslaughter charge against Richard Corrigan, aged 49, a miner, who was alleged to have been implicated in the death at Palmerston on August 26 of an elderly fisherman, Stuart Neish. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., was on the Bench and Chief-Detective Young conducted the proceedings for the prosecution. Mr J. G. Warrington appeared for accused. Dr. Howden said that at 1.45 a.m. on August 26 he saw the body of Neish lying at the door of his hut situated off Auskery Street. Neish had been dead for about two hours. Neish had a contused wound over the left eye and a wound on his scalp.

Alexander Erhoim, a fisherman residing at Moeraki, said he sometimes stayed the week-end with Neish. He came to Palmerston on Friday, August 21. On August 26 Neish and he got two gallons of beer and a bottle of gin from Macßaes. Neish wanted to go and see Corrigan. They took the bottle of gin, from which only one drink had been taken. Witness had seen Corrigan a few times before, but he was not a friend. On arriving at Corrigan’s house witness placed the gin bottle on the kitchen table and they had drinks out of small glasses provided by Mrs Corrigan, wlio did not have a drink.

An Arginnent

Witness went on to say that an argument started between Neish and accused about Sein Feiners and they started pushing each other. The two then went outside, Corrigan returning about 10 minutes later. When Neish did not come in witness went to look for him. When he opened the kitchen door Corrigan walked in front of him and went a distance away from the house across the section. Corrigan went to his motor car by the hedge and witness saw Neish lying between the car and the fence. Witness said to accused "be must have gone out very sudden.” He thought Neish, who was lying on his back, was drunk. Corrigan admitted that the car was his, and witness told him it was no good letting the poor man lie there all night and asked him to give him a hand to take Neish to his hut. They put Neish in the back seat, and witness joined Corrigan in the driver’s seat. He noticed no blood or injury at that time. Neish was placed outside the door of the hut. When he found some time later that Neish was dead he informed tlie police. After further evidence, Corrigan pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence and was committed for trial at Dunedin. Bail was granted in accused’s own recognisance of £2OO and one surety of £2OO, a condition being that he reports twice daily to the police at Palmerston.

The inquest proceedings were adjourned sine die.