Sweeney Murder Trial Begins

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 24

Sweeney Murder Trial Begins

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 15. The Crown alleged that Edward McMillon Sweeney, aged 36, a freezing worker, deliberately killed Isabella Black Taylor, also known as Elizabeth Sweeney, aged 39, with a carving knife, said the Crown Prosecutor, Mr J. A. Murray, in the Supreme Court at Wellington today. Sweeney is charged with the murder of Taylor at Wellington on March 8. Mr W. R. Birks and Mr Murray are appearing for the Crown, and Mr F. D. O'Flynn, with him Mr Q. M. Smith, for Sweeney. Mr Justice Hutchison is presiding. When the trial began, his Honour directed that no children under the age of 14 be allowed in the Court. Mr Murray, opening for the Crown, said that Sweeney came to New Zealand from Scotland in 1956, and for some years he and Taylor had lived as man and wife in various boarding houses. There were various disputes between them and some discord in their relationship. In February last, Taylor left Sweeney and went to stay with a Mr and Mrs Reynolds, at 142 Sydney street west. Sweeney discovered her address and made persistent attempts to get het to return to him. Stayed at House On March 6 and 7 last. Sweeney went there, and on the latter date stayed the night at the house. He was there for most of the day on March 8 and it was on that evening that incidents giving rise to the charge took place. Sweeney did not go to work that day. but did go to his place of work to collect his pay. Mrs Reynolds would say in evidence that she was in a bedroom with Taylor when she saw Sweeney come in and strike Taylor on each side of the neck. Taylor screamed and said: “He’s killing me.” Mrs Reynolds put the light on and saw Taylor lying on her side bleeding. She had a gash across the throat and there was a lot of blood about.

The next m orni ng. Sweeney and three others were found by the police in the bar of the Hotel St. George. On his way to the police station, Sweeney said: “Is my Isabella dead?" When h.e spoke of her, tears ran down his cheeks. At that stage he was affected by liquor, and was emotionally upset. Sweeney took the police to the intersection of Lambton quay and Molesworth street and there pointed to a sump where he said he had disposed of the knife he had used. ‘ The grating was lifted land the knife was seen in I the dirty ■water at the bottom of the sump. I The knife was identified iby Mrs Reynolds as her carviing knife, which she nor’mally kept in the diningroom sideboard. The post-mortem showed 111 knife wounds on the body, two of which penetrated the (heart. Sweeney also had two ■ slice wounds on his hands, ; which indicated that at some l stage Taylor had grabbed the knife. The Crown case was that Sweeney deliberately killed Taylor in the presence of Mrs Reynolds, who actually (saw some of the blows I struck, Mr Murray said. ! From the very nature of 'the attack and the way it j was carried out, it was clear ihe intended to kill her. If it were true, as he alleged in a statement to the police, that he suspected her of being unfaithful to him, that would be a motive. Witness’s Evidence Mrs Reynolds. giving evidence of the events on the night of March 8. said : that she and deceased went ;to bed. Sweeney was supposed to be going home, but sat on a couch and would : not go. as he wanted deI ceased to go writh him. I After the lights had been

put out, Sweeney walked into the bedroom occupied bywitness and deceased. Th* latter again refused to go with him. When she said that. Sweeney went into the sit-ting-room and must have gone to the drawer where the knives were kept. He returned to the bedroom, and witness heard deceased scream. When asked what the matter was, s.he did not answer, and witness put the light on. Mrs Reynolds, cross-exam-ined by Mr O'Flynn, said that neither she nor Taylor had consumed alcohol immediately before the stabbing Mr O’Flynn: Neither of you had a drop at all? Witness: No. Mr O'Flynn: I put it to you that the pathologist giving evidence of an examination of a blood sample taken from Taylor said in the Lower Court it indicated she had had a good deal to drink and would, to some extent at any rate, have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of her death Witness: No, she wasn’t. Some mistake has been made. The next witness, Gordon Alexander Anderson, a pensioner, said that he -and his wife had lived at the Reynolds’ house before Christmas, and since then had visited the Reynolds twice a week. To Mr O’Flynn, Anderson said he did not remember on any occasion telling accused that Taylor had been associating with a man named Phelan. Richard Christopher Phelan, a seaman, gave evidence that apart from the fact that Taylor had been a guest in Reynolds’ house, which he visited when his ship was in port, he had not associated with her. The hearing will continue tomorrow.