MURDER HEARING

Chronicle (Levin), 10 July 1948, Page 5

MURDER HEARING

Press Association)

Accused's StoryOf Death OfWoman

(Per

CHRI8TCHURGH, July 9. The hearmg of the charge against William A1 bertus Ivan Sttrciv, aged 40: a buteher, of murderlng Bertha Bessie Amy Day at Papattia, near Clvrist chureh, on May 14, . eontinued be fdre Mr. F." F. Reid, S.M,, in' the. Magis trate 's Court today. Colin William Glarlc, t'aetory liantl, said that on May 8 Stuek ealled at witnesff 's home to bori'ovc *a rifle and a shotgun and cartridges. He saw Stuclc at about 5 o'elock on Sunday, May .9, when he ealled rotmd to his f ather rs flat, said witness. Stuck took a long-handled shovel away with him, Stitek did not return the rifle or the gun. » A Reserve Bank offieer, Ineome Tax Department o-fficer and the police gave evidence that no reeord eould be found of any application for a passage to Australia or for a transfer of money to Australia on behalf of Bt'uek or Bertha Bessie Amy Day. 1 Ghief Detectrve E. II, Compton, Wellington, gave evideifee that the follow.ing statement was made by aecused after his arrest in Wellington: — Accused's Statement. "I first met Bertha Bessie Amy Day in 1939 when I was a buteher on the Wahine running between Wellington and Lyttelton. I was then a .married man and my wife and five children were living at ■ Brown rs Road, "Manu rewa, Auckland. Abqut 1942 I was transfenred as ehief. buteher to the Maunganui whieh was then running as a hospital ship to Italy and the East; When this ship' used to arrive in Wellington, Betty, as I used to call her, was nearly alwavs there to meet me. Idid not get on too well with mv wife and it was only oecasionally I wouJcl take a run up to see them. 1 have always maintained my wife and family. We were not legally separated.. "About 1943 I was paid off Maunganui for six months and took a jolv in Wellington, Betty and I lived together as man and wife at an hotel. Six months lafer 3 rej'oined the Maunganui and was awaxr nine months. 3 was ashore for a while and then went . back on the hlaunganui and staved on her til-l the end of the war. Betty and I. took a job as a married eouple at an hotel at Dargaville and then at an hotel at Te Aroha. At the end of 1947. we cawie to Christchurch to live. Betty and 1 wanted to go to Australia and J had talked about it but passages were not available and as we were paying £4 4s a week rent and T had to main tain my wife and children jn Auckland we knew 'we would get ?n the cart and' so' decided to go north and: get a married coiiple's job. We- were going to Aitcklarid for about 12 months tinti'T it was easier to get a passage to Australia. We were leavihfg Christchurch on the night of Saturday, May 15. "Bofh Betty and 1 went rabbit shooting fairlv often. When we went shooting, we al ways borrowed guns fi'offi" Mr. Clark who owned the fiaf whare we lived. Betty -was an excellent shot and she always used a rifle. She was frightened of a shot gun and preferred not to hau die it*as she had never usedr one. On Friday, May 14 I we went shooting and we took a shotgun and a rifle.' Tt was mutually agreed that w,e go shooting. after Betty had a hair do. I had a rental car. Clark knew we had the rifle and shotgun and that we were going shooting That dav we w.ent out West Melton wav and stopped at a place that looknd like a park. Tt had concrete gates, We saw no. rabbits so got. into the car and then went dowrt a road to the right. T took the shotgun and Betty Ihe rifle. T put flve bullets in the rifle There was one in the breech. Betty used always to have a hullet there but kept the hammer down beeause of get- ; ting through fences. T Toaded fhe shotgun whieh was a single shot. We Went over the paddocks to our left. but did not get a shot. We came back to the : road and then got Over a fence into the padclock on the opposite side. We came. back to the road and then got over a fence info the paddock on the onposite side. We walker! in a big circle round the gorse making our way back to the car, "When we got to the fence opposite the car Eetty went to get through the fence and was stooping with one hand on the rifle through the fence. She seemed to get caught up in the fence and I went to pull the barb out to release her and my gun went off. I had been walking with the hammer of thegun up. We always did this when we were clear of fences. "When my gun went off as Eetty was getting through the fence, she fell forward and I put my gun down and jumped through the fence and saw she was dead- There was a hell of a hole in the back of her head. I looked around for someone "but did not see anyone., ' ' As I did not know how I was- going to explain it, I got a shovel from the car and dug a small trench about 15 paces away and carried her and laid her in xt and covered her up. The trench was only about 18 inches deep. ."Tlie shovel was in the car beeause it belonged to Betty 's f ather and we were going to return it. TTp to tbat day I had not been back to Betty 'splace, since we . had paeked up our things at the flat. After eovering the body with, earth.'T got in the car and returned it to the rental garage, returned the rifle and' gun to Clark/s place ; and the shovel to Betty'^s, I saw Betty '» sister and Mrs. Annie Smith. T made an exeuse about Betty nO eoming home with me and said she was staying- , with fricnds at Dunsandel. I put the ; shoveT . away in the shed. I stayed at IBetty 's place that night and next day, j Saturday-, klay T5, I left on my way to ! Auckland. ' ' Gregory Gerard Kelly, police arms : 3xpert, said that from an exaulination | if the'" body he conpluded, that the muzzle of the gun was very close to if ' aot in actual .contact with the head oi the woman when the gun was dfs- ! sharged. As far as he could see, the j gun could only have been ftred by the ' nanual operation of the trigger. Seniov Detective W, R. Murray, .of ( Hamilton, and Detective Sergeaut J. B.

Finlay, of Whangarei, said eXteusi^e inquiries in their distriets revealed no evidence to support a statement that Bertha Day was an exceltent shot with a riflgl - - . When the Court adjourned till Mon71 ay, 44 witnesses of the proposed total of oO, had been heard. • .