MARRIED WOMAN SAYS SHE INTENDED TO WED AIRMAN WHO WAS SHOT

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 March 1950, Page 5

MARRIED WOMAN SAYS SHE INTENDED TO WED AIRMAN WHO WAS SHOT

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night (P.A.) —The story of her association with Waata Haremia Momo, was was shot dead at the R.N.Z.A.F. station at Weedons on December 14, was told to the Commissioner, Mr. Raymond Ferner, S.M., this morning by Geraldine Mary Jarman, a married woman, of Christchurch.

For the Crown, Mr. A. W. Brown said that what Momo told the officers at Weedons had given rise to a false impression. There was no prospect of Mrs. Jarman returning to her husband. She intended to marry Momo when Momo and she were free to marry.

In evidence, Mrs. Jarman said that she had been apart from her husband for more than two years. Last year her husband obtained an order for the restitution of conjugal rights, with which she did not comply, and her husband obtained a decree nisi on November 15. She had a daughter, aged four and a-half years, of which both her husband and she were very fond. Last year she met Momo and they proposed to marry when he obtained a divorce from his wife. Mrs. Jarman proposed that on their marriage the child should be given into Jarman’s custody, but, Momo had become much attached to the child and wanted her to keep it when she married him.

On Saturday, December 10, she met Momo, who was somewhat intoxicated, and he said he would give her up if she did not keep the child. On December 13 she spoke to Momo on the telephone on the subject. She said that if she married Momo she would return the child to Jarman, and this annoyed Momo.

Shortly before noon on December 13 she went to Christchurch with her husband and again spoke to Momo on the telephone. There was no suggestion of her returning to her husband. That was a misconception. The only question at issue was the return of her daughter to her husband. She again said that she had agreed with her husband that the latter should have their daughter, but Momo became very upset and said he would commit suicide if she returned her daughter to her husband. Momo had threatened to commit suicide if she ever did anything that displeased him. Her husband later rang the Weedons station at her request to ask that Momo should not be allowed to have any liquor, as she thought he might commit suicide. THREATENED SUICIDE. "Without drink he was very respectable, but with drink he was temperamental and excitable,” said Mrs. Jarman. "I had threatened to have nothing more to do with him if he did not stop drinking. He said that if I left him he would he dead next day, but he often threatened to commit suicide.” To her counsel,' Mr. Lascelles, Mrs. Jarman said that when she rang the adjutant at Weedons, she told him that Momo had threatened to get a rifle and commit suicide, and she asked the adjutant not to let Momo have any”drink or get possession of a rifle in case he did so. The adjutant had promised that he would see that Momo did not get into trouble. At Momo’s request she allowed herself to be called Mrs. Momo. She admitted to Mr. Drake (for Momo’s widow) that that would explain why official telegrams of condolence were sent to her address at Colombo Street. She forwarded them to Momo’s widow. Momo’s last will left his property to her daughter, said Mrs. Jarman. Detective-Sergeant R. S. Smith said he made inquiries into all the circumstances of Momo’s death. He first knew Momo about 1947. Momo was known to him as a person who, when under the influence of liquor, was addicted to violence. Momo was convicted in October, 1947, on two charges of unlawfully presenting a firearm and one of assault About 5 am. on December 14 witness went to Weedons and took possession of a rifle and bayonet, produced. The rifle was lying in front of Momo’s body. There were two apparent bullet marks on the rifle, one on the stock and one on the fore part. There was a live shell in the breech and seven in the magazine.

To Mr. C. S. Thomas (counsel for the commanding officer at Weedons) Smith said that in addition to presenting a pistol at two men in a hotel bar. Momo hit a man over the head with a pistol. If he had been called on to make a report on Memo's suitability for the Air Force h e could not have made a recommendation, but In the light of what had happened, there could be only one answer to counsel’s question —Momo was not a suitable person. To Mr. R. A. Young (counsel for the Police Department), Smith said the ammunition used by Momo was of high velocity and one round penetrated a quarter of an inch of steel plate on a tractor. From a reconstruction of what happened i n a paddock witness was satisfied that Momo was killed bv the bullet which struck the stock of his rifle while he was actually sighting the rifle to fire It. The mark on the stock correspponded with the fatal wound In Memo’s right cheek.

Souadron Leader D. F. St. George, of RN.Z.A.F. Headquarters. Wellington. said he was Momo’s commanding officer in Japan for several months. Air Department had given approval for nil confidential and privileged documents to be produced to heln the commission. Momo had a clear service record in Japan, from where he repatriated because of worrv over domestic troubles. He suffered from an anxiety state which manifested itself in abnormal personality changes. Insomnia and excessive drinking. Memo was later dischahrged at h’s own request. Later he re-enlisted and was posted to Weedons. When Momo was discharged his character was assessed as very good. Warrant Officer D. O. Hardwick, of Wigram. said lie was In Japan when Momo arrived there earlv in 1947. When Momo took too much liquor he was unnredictahle. hut witness never had to take disciplinary act'on against him. Momo became unset over domestic troubles and witness advised him to apply for a compassionate posting back to New Zealand. Momo was an emotional tyre and. under the influence or liquor, became abnormal. The inquirv was adio’Tned until Wednesday. when counsel v.ill make submissions.