CANNOT REMEMBER SHOOTING

Chronicle (Levin), 19 February 1947, Page 7

CANNOT REMEMBER SHOOTING

ACCUSED GIVES EYIDENCE ATTEMPTED MURDER TRIAL NAPIER, Feb. 18. The eircumstances of the arrest of Cyril Waiter Goodman, aged 34, charged. with the attempted murder . of his divorced wife, Kathleen Lucy Christiansen, at Dannevirke in Oetober last, was described when the trial wais resumed in the Suprcme Court today. Sergeant R. E. MeGettingan, Dannevirke, said he arrived at Christiansen 's house at 10.5 p.m. on Oetober 12 and found Mrs. Christiansen lying on the B.oor covered with a blanlcet. Witness lieard muttering coming from the kitchen. After the wounded woman had been taken t'o liospital, he and Constable Guy kept wateh on the back door from the shelter of a hedge. He heard a man's voice say: "They taught me to shoot — and can I shoot?" Shortly afterward a man came out the back door carrying a rifie. He said: "If you want some fun why dou't you come in?" The man returned to the house. Two other constabies arrived with rifles and the police party took up positions outside tlpe door. Shortly after midnight a man canie out the back door and walked to the place . wliere the police w*ere hiding. \Vitness recoguised hihi as Goodman. Aceused warned witness not to move. Witness replied: "Don't be a fool. She is all riglit. You haven't done much damage yet. " Acc-used answered: "She is all wrong. 1 should have got the other joker." After witness reasoned further with aecused he surrendered the rifle aud was arrested. AVitness considered Goodman not badly intoxicated tliough he smelt strongly of liquor. His own version of events wliicli led

to his trial was given in evidenee by aecused.' Goodman said t'hat, although he had writ-ten to- his wife regularls while he was serving in Italy, letters from her had not been regular. On his leturn to Dannevirke on November 1, 1944, he was met at the station by his wife who showed decp affection toi him. After two days, liowever, he found his wife had been unfaithfiii while he was in Italy. They subso quently agreed to separate. Aceused said he hazilv remembered the events of Oetober 12 last. At the time he was working in Palmerston North but visitod Dannevirke wliere he drank a quantity of-beer at a friend's place in the afternqon. The next thing he remembered was knocking at the Christiansen 's door -and saying something to Christiansen. He did not m call seeing anyliody else at the time. He remembered liddling with the -wireless and vagaely recalied sitting 011 u sofa with a rifle in liis liands. Wlien lie saw the police lie surrendered the rifle. To Mr. J. C. Pabian, for aecused, Goodman said he and Mrs. Christiansen had always been fri'endly. He never had any inteiitions of murdering her as he thought too much of her. To the Crown Pr'osecutor, Mr. L. W. AVillis, aceused said he resented Christiansen breaking up his lionie, but had not broodeu o\ er ihe loss of liis wife since his return from overseas. He dio not recollect shooting Mrs. Christiansen nor saying: "You 'Ve had it, Jolmny..' He did not renieniber carrying a^gun when he entered: the house. Vero'nica Goodman, sister-in-law 01 aceused, said since their divorce s'lu had scen aceused and Mrs. Christiansen talking in the street. Both appcarei. reconciled to the iiosition. Blie wouli. say aecused was drunk carly in tlu evening of Oetober 12. At no timo h:ii aecused borne malice regarding thi divorce.

Alexander McLean fStreater, butclier, of Dannevirke, said he and aceused in duJged in cxtensive drinking on thc afternoon of Oetober 12. Just before 6 0 'clock a bannan ref used Goddnian another driuk, exjiressing the view tlia, lie was drunk. Tliev took bottles wrL. them wlien they left the holel. WLtuess, aecused aud otiiers arranged to gi to the pictures, but near the theatr Goodman said he had had it aud wa going home. AVitness did not thiiii. aecused in a lit conditions to go honn unaccqmpaniod and ofl'ered to go witi. him. Aceused declined the otfer. Daniel Rvan, freezing vvorks em ployee, Dannevirke, said that in Oetober he was employed as part-time barnian. He remeinbefcd aecused entering •the Junction Hotel about noon on .Oetober 12. At 5.45 witness refused aceused a drink as lie considered he had iiad enougli. Cross-examined, witness said aceused was much worse tlian his companions when he left. Addressing the jurv, Mr. Pabian said that if Goodman liad been a jealous type he could liave renounced his wife to the world but he had taken thc coiniuonsense view and agreed to a soparation. He submitted that the prosecution had to prove that Goodman, with niurderous intent, liad gone to- kili Mrs. Christiansen. The rational conduct of aceused showed that he was not capable of forming sueh an intention. Counsel said society had taught Goodman to shoot and, in view of the experiences whieh aecused had been through while serving overseas-, society must aecept some sense of responsibilityr. Counsel for aceused liad appealed to their sympathy, said Mr. AVillis, addressing the jury. His reasoning, lie submitted, was tantamouut to saying the man had fought for his country and therefore should be let olf. Nothing less legal could be said. The hearing was adjoyrned.