STORY OF TRAGEDY IN HOME AT AUCKLAND

Chronicle (Levin), 14 March 1947, Page 5

STORY OF TRAGEDY IN HOME AT AUCKLAND

-Press Association

HUSBAND ON MURDER CHARGE

By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Mar. 13. The story of incidents in a home at Avondale were told in the Police Court today when Charles Androw X'azey. aged 51, pottery worker, was charged with the murder of his wife, Barah Purdie X'aV.ey, 011 February 25. Eyidence was given by an eiderly widow, Nancy Boyd Davis, aunt or Mrs. Vazey, that she had lived with the Yazeys in Great Nortli Road, Avondale, since .Juue, 1945. Accused had just eome out of a rnental Jiospital where he had been a voluntary patient.j About ten months after slie went to '■ stav with the Vazevs accused 's health | began to get worse again. He com- 1 plained about liead noises. O11 Febru-i ary 17 she heard two loud bangs in the ' nouse. X'azey appeared from the balli- j 100:11 and said he had tried to commit j suicide by taking out the electric light j bulb. He said lie failed and the lignis, had fused. X'azey often threatened to | commit suicide. XX'itness said on the Sunday prior to Mrs. X'azey 's death accused was very luelancholy. He said he felt he simply could not carry 011 with life. O11 the night pf the tragedv she heard a yell in the kitchenette nmi saw X'azey hauering his wife 's head 'with a hammer and knocking lier on the neck. ALrs. X'azey was lying on tui: floor. XXMtness struggled with liiin and shouted for hclp several tinies. Accused struck witness 011 the liead. Khe was a little dizzy and started to struggle with him again. Bhe didn't get the hammer. A ueighbour, accompanied by a young nian, then appeared. fhey took Ihe hammer froin X'azey. Whe understood they had him well guarded. Mrs. ^X'azey was laid 011 a bed. Vazey appeared and had his back to the bed. XVhen he turned round witness saw he had a razor in his hand. Witness said Vazey puslied h.er awa. and drew the razor across his wife'.throat. XX'itness tried to get the ra/.oi before he did it. Wlie shouted for assis tance and the two neighbours pusheo him out. Cross-examined she said the Vazeys were happily married. XX'itness ex pressed the opinion that lack oi promised promotion in his work and disappointments one after another, caused t-h'e .mental breakdown at. thc l^egrniungv--y y.| .. ; ?, ' GTanain .'Mkurice Drinnan skid hc entered the V house after hearing screams. Mrs. Vazey was still alive He thought Alfred Priaulx, a- neighbour of the Vazeys with whoni he enteiied the house, had indicated he. would watch X'azey. Witness was washing his hands when he heard Alrs." l3a\'i:7 seream. XVitness rushed to the bedroom and lcnocked the razor out of Xrazev's hand, receiving a cut 011 the arm. He liit Vazey and Priaulx grabbed hin: from behind. Priaulx gave evidence that after ilrs. Xrazey was put on the bed, Xrazey asked if he could have a smoke. X'azey opened a drawcr and witness turned round. He lieard screams and saw Xrazey in the bedrooni holcling a razor