Jury Acquits Man Charged With Attempted Murder

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 October 1948, Page 6

Jury Acquits Man Charged With Attempted Murder

PALMERSTON NORTH, Last Night (P.A.)—After a retirement of only 12 minutes a jury in the Supreme Court acquitted Cecil Edward Davey of six charges arising out of a shooting incident at the Manawatu Heads on September 11, when Davey’s wife, Mrs. Sadie Davey, and a fisherman, Thomas Sands, single, aged 28, were wounded by shotgun pellets. The hearing occupied two days. As soon as Davey was arrested and charged with attempted murder, residents of Foxton opened a subscription list to brief counsel for Davey, and it is understood that a sum well in excess of £lOO was rais-ed. Dr. O. C. Mazengarb, with him Mr. L. G. Rose, Wellington, were retained for the defence.

Immediately after his discharge from the dock yesterday Davey was the recipient of congratulations from friends who flocked round him in the courtroom after the judge had retired.

Davey was charged on two counts of attempted murder in respect of Mrs Davey and Sands, two counts of wounding with intent to do bodily harm, and two counts of discharging a firearm witn intent to cause bodily harm.