NEW TRIAL ORDERED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 245, 28 July 1937, Page 3

NEW TRIAL ORDERED.

CONNECTION OF PARTY ON JURY.

(Per Press. Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, July 27. An, unusual position arose during the hearing of an action in the Supreme Court, in which Mrs Elizabeth Crowther, aged 72, of Wellington, is claiming damages totalling £2755 after a collision with a motor-car, the defendants being Leicester George Harris, a service car proprietor, Roy Mervyn Blackford, a car driver, and Mrs Harris, wife of the first defendant, as owner of the car.

Som® evidence.was heard yesterday, and there was some delay in resuming this morning. The Chief Justice '(the Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers) announced that Mr 0. C. Mazengarb, counsel for the plaintiff, had ascertained that a son-in-law of W. James, a nephew of the plaintiff, who was one of the chief witnesses, was a member of the jury. It was also known that James was in conversation yesterday with that juror. “It would never do, in the interests of justice, to allow this trial to proceed with the jury as at present constituted,” said -the Judge. “Counsel are of opinion, and I agree with them, that the best course is to discharge the jury and let the case be tried with an entirely new jury.” The case was adjourned sine die, the jury being dismissed.