BUCKLEY DENIES MURDER CHARGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19239, 28 November 1930, Page 1

BUCKLEY DENIES MURDER CHARGE.

SAYS HE WAS ILL WHEN BERRIMAN WAS SHOT. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) MELBOURNE. November 27. Richard Buckley, who is charged with the murder of Mr T. V. R. Berriman, bank manager, of Glenferrie, who met his death in 1923, gave evidence in his own defence to-day. He denied having been associated with Angus Murray, who was hanged after being found guilty of the crime. Buckley said that he was ill in bed at the time of the murder, suffering from a growth on the neck which had caused him to grow a beard. He had been wrongly convicted of assault and robbery many years ago, when he had been ordered to receive three whippings, of which he had had one instalment, when he was released upon the discovery that it was a case of mistaken identity. Since then the iron had entered into his soul. This drove him into concealment in order to avoid being crucified a second time. The Crown Prosecutor showed Buckley a photograph of himself, clean shaven, and asked him if he could identify himself. Buckley admitted that it was a *.irly good picture. The Crown Prosecutor: Why did you not tell the police where you were, when the murder occurred? Buckley: Why should I? There was a time and place for that. Anyhow, I do not trust any detective. The Crown Prosecutor: Why did you keep three loaded revolvers in your house? Buckley: For the protection of my granddaughter. The Crown Prosecutor: You surely do not think that the police would injure her? Buckley: They might have started firing at random and hit her. Some of Buckley’s relatives gave evidence that Buckley was a sick man; at the time of the murder.