WITNESS WHO DECLINED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
-■ —5 . .. . KEW. PLYMQIJTH, Nov. 10. •••DeelinShg toi answbf' • qtt'es'tipns iind saving she did no.t remembe.r, a young woman aged 20 created a stif in the ' Hupreme Court today and, on the application of the Crown, she was declared hostile. Confronted with depositions made at the preliminary hearing, she said again that she could not remeniber the number of statements she signed.. 8he was the principal witness against Ruby Watson, New Plymouth, married woman, charged on two counts with unlawfully using an instrument to procure miscarriage. 8he had a reason for forgetting, the girl admitted, but mueh questioniug by Mr. Justice Fair and Mr. J". P, Quilliam. prosecuting eounsei^ failed to discover what it was. An unusual situation arose, therefore, when Mr. F. S. Grayling, for the Crown, asked permission to reeall the witness because it had jugt been reported to him that she had a reason. His Honour asked why, if there was a reason, it was not known to the Court or Crown as it should have been? The Crown, he said, was suppoaed to have its ease ready and to be assured oi the
credibility of its witnesses before i1 launched the prosecution. Consent was finaliy- given by his Honour to reeall tho young woman tomorrow morning. The attitude of the witness lirst became apparent just before luncheon. After telling how she went to a house at Xew Plyniouth and enfered a bed-i-Qom, she was asked to, deseribe what happened. »She said she could not remeinber and shortly afterwards collapsed in the witness box. In the afternoon she declined to ansvyer questions. Outlining the case for the Crown, Mr. Quilliam said the girl was found work at a maternity home by Dr, R, C, Davie whom she had consulted. 'Aeeused, a trained nurse and rn.idwife, sorn.etimes relieved the matron^ Mrs. Fitzgerald. At the home the girl ipet Mrs, Watson who, said Mr. Quilfiain, asked if she could help her as she had heiped other girls. Bu.hsequeufly ihe girl went to an uddresa afieged to have been given her by Mrs. Watson. and certain things happened there.
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Chronicle (Levin), 12 November 1947, Page 5
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354WITNESS WHO DECLINED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS Chronicle (Levin), 12 November 1947, Page 5
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