LABOURER ON TRIAL FOR MURDER AS RESULT OF A STABBING AFFRAY

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 November 1950, Page 5

LABOURER ON TRIAL FOR MURDER AS RESULT OF A STABBING AFFRAY

AUCKLAND, Yesterday (PA). —“Accused made a savage attack and said afterwards that deceased had it coining to him. This is murder.” Mr S. Cleal, prosecuting, said this in the Supreme Court today, when Ralph Smart (42), a labourer (Mr Trimmer and Mr Brown) appeared before Mr Justice Callan and a jury, on a charge or murdering Edward Putaka, a watersider, at 16 Crummer Road, on August 23. Mr Speight is appearing with Mr Cleal. Counsel said that Smart and his wife and Putaka and the woman living with him as his wife shared adjoining flats in the upper storey of the house. The relationship between the parties was good at first, but deteriorated, Mr Cleal alleged, because the Smarts annoyed the Putakas by making unnecessary noise. About 6 p.m. on August 23, the Putakas were taking their tea, when they saw the Smarts arrive In a taxi. Counsel said later they heard Mrs Smart banging about, and assumed that the Smarts were trying to annoy them. Mrs Putaka began making a noise, and a row developed between the women through the wall of the flats. APPEARED WITH HAMMER. Mrs Smart told Mrs Putaka that she "crawled” to the landlday, and Mrs Putaka went downstairs and brought up Mrs Baird to refute this allegation. They knocked at the door and, Mr Cleal alleged, Mrs Smart appeared with a hammer and assumed an aggressive attitude. Mrs Smart accused Mrs Putaka of deliberately upsetting a rubbish tin and making a noise, and Mrs Putaka denied this. The accused brushed past his wife and stood in the passage, and it was seen that he had a knife, Mr Cleal Aid. Putaka came into the passage and said Mrs Smart's allegation was a lie, and the men came to grips. The two men fell to the floor and the knife was seen in accused's hand. Mrs Putaka saw her husband covered with blood, and ran downstairs to get the police. Putaka crawled back into his flat and collapsed on the floor. The police arrived later, and he died. In a statement, Smart said he never meant to hurt Putaka and used the knife in self-defence, as Putaka was a much bigger man. Counsel alleged that Smart had the knife about his person with "the sinis ter purpose" of using it on Puta'ja.