COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

Chronicle (Levin), 11 July 1946, Page 7

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

-Press Assoctation

Boy's Story of Maori Girl's Death

By Telegrciph-

, NELSON, July 10. The hearing was coneluded in tlie Magistrate 's Uourt before Mr. E. T. Maunsell, S.M., of the charge against Patriek Wilfred Hardy, aged 18 years, of niurdering the youug Maori woman, Miss Hangi Tai Otimi, on June 20, at Nelson. Tlie body of deceased was foujid in a pond at Queen's Gardens. Mr. 0. It. Fell, (Jrown prosecutor, con ducted the proseeution and Mr. E. E, llarding, of Wellington, appeared for accused. The baek of the Court was crowded with spectators. Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist, who conducted the post mortem, presented a report wliich stated that the body ! bore a number of sniall abrasioiis mainly on the- front surfaee of the body, on 1 the face and also on the hands and | knces wliich could have been caused by ! beiug dragged aloug the ground. The : right side of the face was considerably I swollen. There was a blood collection : in Ihe inuscles and otlier tissues extending 1'roin the right side of the nose to i.eiou the right ear. The appcaranco oi the luugs was typieal of death by drowning. A stomach examination showed a heavy meal had been taken, the ineal appearing to consist of Jish, potatoes . and paste. The only niarks on the sealp wero two bruises above tlie eyes. 1 iSumniari.sing his lindings and deduutiotis, Dr. Lynch said tlie injuries to tlie right cheek and aliove the eyes indieated that the girl had been struck »i least three or probablv more heavy Idows. The injuries above the eyes could have conceivably been caused by a fall. The injuries to the right side of the face could only have been caused bv a blow or blows. The injuries would probablv render a girl of her build un coiisi'Knis. Tiiey would certainly render her incapable of resistauce. The multiple abrasions iiulicated that deceased had been dragged along the ground in a prone position. Ilis examination showed conclusively that death was due to drowning. Dr. Lynch reported on the examination of eerlain articles of men's clothing. On the lower part of oue trouser leg was a stain wliich tests showed to be huanui blood. it was no more than a small splash or a drop of blood. Edward Jolin Burns, caretaker of Queen's Gardeus, told of the finding of the body. Marks across the fernery path attracted his attention and led to the pond where he found the girl in 17 inches of water. He pulled the body out of the water before reporting to tlie jiolicc. ( ,'onst ablc .Tames Itfagee, of Blenheim, who was on relieving dutv in Nelsou, said that on the way to his lodgings Iie ! saw the Maori girl in companv with a j white nuui. At an ideiitificatiou parade ' several days later he identiiied accused as the nian he had seen with the girl. Two women who reside near the gardeus gave evidenco of noisds in- the gardeus. Oue of tliein heard screams and , tlie otlier had called out: " Wliat 's go- . ing on there?" Detective Rcrgeant J. .T. Murrav said he had interviewed accused twice. On tlie first occasion Jlardv had denied haviug been with tlie girl but on the sec- ! uid occasion, wlien questiouiiig hiin j .lbout tlie coat wliich had been left by I Hardy at a dry cleaning sliop, accused ! had said the matter had been worrying ' him so that he could not slccp and he i

wished to makc a stalement. In that slatenient, produced by De tective Hergeaut Murrav, accused said he knocked od' work at the Burlington | Cafe at 11.110, his. eniployer liaving tohi! him to close tlie shop early. Iie kiiew Hangi who worked at the Boys' Col : lege. She used to come to tjie cafe fre j quently. He had an idea sho cvas a'j iiard case. llo eoukl pretty well sec by j the lypes she would pick j.iqi, that shej was a liard shot. That night Eang- j ciiuie into the cafe after the picturcs,| with a Nttvnl oflicer wcaring a peakodj cap. Thev had bread and, butter aud| coil'ee tlien went out togeiher. When! the llurlingloji Cafe was clp'fe'ed he had I inothing to. xlo and >did- hot feel likc-j sleeping and so he went for a stroll| down to Peter Betka's cafe in Ilardy: Street. Cloing into I'eler.'s. sliop he saw j ihe naval oflicer wlioni h.e had seen| earlier in the Burlington with tb.o! j Maori girl. It was tlien about 11.30 I p.m. and the naval oiliccr bought iisli ! and eliips. Iie asked the ollicer where j his girl friend was, Ihe , reply. being somothing about lcaving* her ou ihe church steps. The .oflicer theu left tlie' shoxi. Just" after wa nls the Maori girl j Hangi camo into Peter 's shop. Bhej said Jiullo to hini- and ordered lisli and ; cliixis to take away. iie followed her J from the sliop and after spoaking toi her, they walked to Queen's Gardens). where they sat in a little trellis housej in the fernery. After about live miu | utes Hangi excused herself and tlien ealled out to him from a position about ' a chain away. Hangi invited him to sit j down and then put her arms about him. I 8he tlien took his liand and her subse | quent actions wero repulsive to liim. i ' ' A feeling of repulsiveness cante | ! over me and I beited her on the right j 1 sido of the jaw with my left Mand, "j I continued accused in his statement. ''1 | : |iut my whole weight into it. Wlien 1 j I struck her she jumped up and let out aj j crying yoll. Everything lciiul of went . | blank with me and I rusliod over to I comfort her and she went for me. Btill ' ; not realising wliat I was doing 1 bangedj j her a couple of more times 011 the head | about the jaw and she went down giv- j i ing a moau. it sounded as thougli she; 'had struck her head as she fell. Noti i being ablc to lift lier I grabbed hor ( i umler the arms and pulled her down the j ! bauk to the water 's etlge. I was going to sp lash water 011 to her face to | try to bring her around. Hangi api peared to be uucouscious from the tiine 1 struck her 011 the jaw until 1 got her • down to the lake. I had her 011 the edge j and pulled her over too far and she { went in shoulders lirst. 8he went com- ! pletely into tlie water and 1 must have I panicked for tlie next tlring 1 knew 1 | was running up Bridge Btreet past the! j Buter Art Gallery." j Accused 's staleinent added that he ! then went liome where he noticed blood ! ou his coat sleeve. He covered the i blood marks with somc ink. The foli low ing morning he took his coat to the r j dry cleaners. He had never been out ■ | with her before and did not have sex ' uai intercourse with her nor had he ; inade preparation or pia 11s to do Hangi any harui. He hit her 011 the spur of i the moment as her actions were repul- | sive to him. Detective Bergeant McPhee corrobor | ated Murrav 's evidence, j Cross exaniined by Mr. H. E. llarding who appeared for accused, botli j dctcctives said they believed Hardy 's ! story. ! Counsel asked the Magistrate to give ! serious consideration to the question of j commital. The bov had inade a state I ment wliich had been aceepted by two • reliable pjoli ce oflieers. It was a state J ment almost entirely of misadventure. I The Magistrate replied that it was a matter for n jury to deeide whether ! wliat had luippened was intentional or 1 not. j Accused was eommitted to the I Supreine Court at Nelson for trial.