Accused Knew Two Members Of Jury

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 6

Accused Knew Two Members Of Jury

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, June 14. A jury empanelled in the Supreme Court at Auckland was discharged today by Mr Justice Moller after defence counsel had submitted that the accused knew two of its members.

A new jury was empanelled for the trial of Pakira Wi Hau, aged 27, a driversalesman, who has pleaded not guilty to four charges of false pretences and 13 charges of obtaining credit by fraud. His Honour told the jurors that the position had given him and counsel in the case much concern. “I have come to the decision that, in the circumstances that have been disclosed to me, it is my duty, unfortunate though it may be, to discharge you as a jury from the hearing of this case. “You have heard it said

that the accused knows two members of the present jury. The fact of my discharging you is in no sense any kind of comment on the integrity or otherwise of either of the two persons concerned,” he said.

As he interpreted the authorities, he could not take any risk under the circumstances.

It was just one of those things which sometimes happened, he said. Yesterday, soon after the trial began, Mr S. B. W. Grieve, counsel for the accused, interrupted the examination of the first Crown witness to raise the matter.