WELLINGTON MU

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 18332, 2 November 1931, Page 2

WELLINGTON MU

DEATH OF PHYLLIS SYMONS

Trial of Coats Opened.

THE CROWN'S EVIDENCE

GREAT INTEREST IN CASE

(By Telegraph.—Press Association) , WELLINGTON, Nov. 2 The trial of George Errol Coats, charged with the' murder of Phillis Avis .Symons, aged 17, on or about June 26 last, was commenced in the Supreme Court before Mr Justice Blair to-day. Despite the rain the large crowd, including several women, which had gathered outside the Court, were not admitted to the body of the Court until all the formalities connected with the empanelling of a jury had been gone through. The Crown Prosecutor, in opening, said that the accused was a widower with six children in various orphanages. He first got into touch with the dead girl when he was working on the relief works in Mortimer Terrace, where the girl's parents lived. Early in March the girl left home and went to live with Coats. It was the Crown's contention that the girl left home on account of her condition, for which it was alleged Coats was responsible.

Counsel detailed the various acts and conversations which had taken place in regard to the girl's condition/ and said that accused had told one witness, Glover, that if Phillis did die she could easily be buried in the gully at the Hataitai relief works, where Coats was working. Coats had been seen digging a hole at Hataitai, and "there will be I no doubt in your minds, gentlemen, that Avhen Coats was digging that hole he intended to murder Phillis and bury her there."

Counsel referred to an incident where it was alleged that Coats had hit the girl oh the head with a piece of pipe, but she had recovered. The Crown contended that Coats made arrangements to have a shovel left out at Hataitai on the night of June 25 st> that he could, kill and bury the girl that night. Unexpected visitors, prevented the carrying out of the plan that night, but on the following night the girl and accused were heard to leave tho house where they were living. The Crown alleged that the pair walked over to Hataitai, where Coats hit the girl on the head with a shovel several times, and buried her. Tn ( answer to inquiries about the girl, Coats said that she had gone home, but the girl was not seen aga'n since. A taxi-driver named Mclvi !c had found a letter from the girl, an I as a result of him sending it oil to the girl's father the police had seen Coats. After a search lasting some days the body of the girl.was found at Hataitai, _ covered by a sack, which the Crown' would definitely establish came from the house where Coats and the girl had lived together. Counsel's address lasted nearly an hour.

Formal- evidence was given by Senior-Sergt. Dinnie and a surveyor, and at the luncheon adjournment tho deceased girl's mother was in the witness box.