CHARGE OF MURDER

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 61, 6 December 1926, Page 10

CHARGE OF MURDER

NEW ZEALANDER IN ENGLAND Domini- 'A mt-cial. Dunedin, December 4. Cablegrams from London during the past few days to the effect that a New Zealander named John Donald Merrett had been arrested on a charge of my r " dering his mother came as a painful shock to several friends of both of them in Dunedin and Oamaru, as thev resided in the latter place for several years. They also spent some time in Dunedin and elsewhere in Otago, and naturallv made a number of friends, some of whom were in regular communication with them until a few months ago. Up till then there was no suggestion that anything was wrong, but latelv letters sent to the mother at her English address have been returned. As far ns can be ascertained, Mrs. Merrett and her son left England during the war, and eventually settled down in Oamaru, where the boy attended 'he Waitaki Bovs’ High. School, being in a junior form. Previous to entering Waitaki he had a serious fall from his cycle when on a fishing expedition, and was in the hospital for a considerable time, suffering from injuries to his head and nose. For a time he was prevented from participating in field games at school, btit later distinguished himself in all branches of sport, being an especially fine swimmer. Although his mother resided in Oamaru he was a border nt Wait.aki for a time A number of his old classmates sneak verv highly of him, though thev all point out that he was of a particularly venturesome type, and on one occasion be created a mild sensation in the school by rather a foolhardy expedition in a motor-boat.