MURDER CHARGE

Chronicle (Levin), 31 January 1947, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

-Prees Assoeiation

Musterer Dies from Buliet in Spine t two youths for trial

By Telegraph-

TAUMARUNUI, Jan. 30. Further evidence was heard today in the murder charge against; .he uwo boys, James Freaerick Dodd, 15 years, and Cyril Paseoe, j.4 years, defore Mr. A. Coieman,! o.M. Accused were charged with the murder of Raymond Douglas; jrinkman, aged 23, at Te Maire on january 12. Brinkman died in the Taumarunui Hospital on January 18 following a bullet wound in the stomach: JJouglas James Steele, taxi proprietor, Auckland, said he and Thomas George Lake were camping on a hunting t rip at Te Whakarae on January 12th aua ieft tlie car parked on the river road while they were testing a raft on the river. Between 10 and 11 o'clock in ihe morning a number of shots were .ired across tlie river. Lake called out: "Stop shooting" and the firing ceased after a few more shots. Wltuess X->re-.'iously saw two cyclists going down the river road. When witness returned to the car he found tlie police tliere. An exainiiialion sliowed tliat a rifle and six ooxes of .22 aimnunition were liiissing ironi tlie car, and also cigarettes, to oacco and f20 in single notes. Thomas George Laiie, tc.xi proprietor, Auckland, said a slieatli knife and cart ridge beit belonging to him were miss " ing from tlie car. Tlie Clerk of the Cliildren's Court, William George Davys, stated that the deposition of Eayniond Douglas Brink man was lakeiwn the Cliildren's Court at Taumarunui Hospital before ^us lices and signed by Brinkman wlio hau riaid tliat lie went out mustering on January 12th. Eeturning at 12.30 p.m. tJrinknian saw that the doors and wiu ilows of the farnihouse wliieh lie left dosed in the morning, were now open. He spotted a nnin, picked up a stick, and qucstioned the, intruder. Just then another man came from liehiml a shod with a rille at his shoulder and sliot Brinkinan in tlie stoniach. Brinkman said lie turned aiul rau towards tlie uouse and ihe intruder lired at him lliree or four times." The man on the ieft in the Cliildren's Court lired tlie sliot. lle was snialler than tlie other and darker. Cross examined Brinkman nad suid he got only a glimpse of the uia-n who lired. Mr. Moody objected to the admissa bility of tliis evidence. Gordon Nicholls, bank clerk, Taumarunui, recalled iinding Brinkman 111 jured nnd in severe pahi on the side of ihe road. Witness hailed a car uriveu iiy a larmer, Keith Gameiou, and de ceased was then taken to Taumarunui Hospital. Kenior Kergeant F. Taylor, Taumarunui, in evidence, said lie went in a car later in the day . with Detective Ser geant Crouiweil and Constable E. C. Voullaire and overtook the two accused on Ohura Eoad. Dodd hesitatod wlien lokl to drop tlie rifle but did so. De tective Kergeant Croinwell then inform ed the lioys that a man had been sliot and he Inul reason to suspect tliem. Dodd admitted firing at a man. Detective Kergeant William Henry Cromwell, aft.e-r detaii;ng tlie capture of tlie two Ijovs, proiluced the statements of each made voluntarily after Jue waining tliat tliey might be used as evidence. Dodd related the escape from Mount A'lbert Bovs'. Home on January (ith with Fascoe, their recapture at OJiura and escape through a winclow at the Taumarunui railvvay station on January i2tli. They stoie two bicycles and siept that night on tlie roadside. Tliey took money, Ihe rifle and .22 ammunition ti'om a car parked at Te Wliakarae on the roadside, next morning. Tliey loadetk tlie rifle with the f'ull 15 rounds. They came to a farnihouse and liad a good look round. " We made up our minds to slioot anyone who disturbed us, " -Dodd liau added. ' ' 1 told Pascoe and he said yes. " Tliey saw a man coinmg and liici iiehind a sheil. The man went inside and came out in a few niinutes. Tlie niaii saw Pascde running up a liill and f called out to liim. Dodd conlirmed: "I walked from behind tlie slied and opened lire with tlie gun at my hip. My lirst sliot liit him in ihe stoniach. Wlien lie was about twenty yards away 1 threw Ihe rifle to my shoulder and lired a snap sliot. Wlien I saw I liad not killed him with tlie lirst sliot I lired again. I knew that lie would ring the police and tliat a searcli party would come after us. " Dodd's statement then told liow the.) worked llieir way across eountry and back to tlie road. Tliey made up tlieir minds that if anyone stopped them or came after lliem tney would "let them have it. " Tlie statement concluded: "Tlie man 1 shot was i'airly young man. I gave liini no cliance to get away — -just shoi liim down." Pascoe 's statement largely corroborated Dodd's. Gregory Gerald Kelly, arms adviser to tlie police, gave technical evideijce regarding the bullet taken from Brinkman 's spine. Witness compared it witli another taken from the rifle which was stolen from the car. The bullets agreed on all major points and some minor points. They could not have been lired by any other firearm. The rifle could not have been lired accidentally except by pressure on the trigger. The magistrate committed both accused for trial at the next session of tlie Kupremeo Court at Hamilton. Accused- both stated tlieir intention to olead nat guilty.