NOT GUILTY.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18944, 13 May 1933, Page 6

NOT GUILTY.

MURDER OF HATI ROBSON,

REWI MANUEL ACQUITTED.

JURY’S LONG ABSENCE, 5 \ AUCKLAND, Saturday. ') The jury, after a retirement of 4' hours 20 minutes, returned a verdict of not guilty against Rewi Manuel, a Maori boy, who was charged with murdering Ilati Robson, a dairy farmer, near Kaitala, on January 8. In his address to the jury* Mr Meredith, the Crown Proseoutor, said the boy had admitted he intended to injure, and the point was whethep he knew that what he did was likely* to cause death and whether he wag( reckless whether it did or not. “I know of no case,” said Mr -Meredith, “where the accused 'has been given such fair treatment and such, opportunity time after time to retract or alter his statement.” There was no overpowering influence about Manuel’s brothe”, to whom he made a further admission -of having shot Robson, and yet again he made the same admission to his friend, Mr Me Carroll, the childi welfare officer. His Honour’s Summing Up. “In a matter of this kind it Is of supreme importance that you should understand that you have to judge this case upon the evidence and nothing else,” said His •. Honour. There cuold be no suggestion that any statement this lad made was haunted by fear. The foundation of the case was the statement made by the boy, in which he said he had stood in the doorway of Hati Robson’s room and shot him. There was no evidence to implicate Thomas. The suggestion that he had anything to do with the case was founded upon the flimsiest possible evidence—indeed no evidence at all. - - I The jury returned to ask for. a statement taken by Constable Thornell and for a portion of Detective Robertson's evidence. The foreman -made inquiry about the words; “We were provided with someone to accuse,’' which he attributed to DeteotiveSergeant Robertson, although they did not appear in the notes of evidenoe. His Honour reoalled DetectiveSergeant Robertson, who explained that after Manuel had made a ■statement Implicating himself there was then someone to accuse and a Court could be set up. Verdict of Not Qullty. The Jury was absent for four hours! and 20 minutes before It returned with the verdict of not guilty.