MOTHER’S BODY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20078, 26 October 1939, Page 6

MOTHER’S BODY

BEACH DISCOVERY

SON’S IDENTIFICATION

patience on trial CHARGE OF WIFE-MURDER EVIDENCE FOR CROWN (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The trial of Arthur John Patience, aged 48. a labourer, charged with murdering his wife at Claverley on October 4 last year, was continued in the Supreme Court to-day before Mr. Justice Northcrofl. Mr. A T. Donnelly conducted the case for the Crown, Mr. Alan Brown being with him. Mr. R. A. Young appeared for accused, with him Mr. T. A. Gresson.

Senior-Sergeant Bickcrdike, who was still in fhe witness-box, was crossexamined by Mr. Gresson. Senior-Sergeant Bickcrdike -said on neither of the two inspections of Patience's hut had he found anything suspicious. At the Blenheim Hotel Patience was “quite open and frank.” He was not alone with Patience for two hours before the statement was taken. Patience was not warned that he need not make a statement nor that it might be used as evidence against him if he did so.

Mr. Gresson: You arc rather good at getting statements, are you not?—lf I am, it’s no secret. You get your story, don't you?—l got his story. Search At Claverley

Senior-Sergeant Bickerdike said that 25 police and, for a time, 10 to 15 Public Works Department men searched at Claverley. Patience was not warned before making his second statement, most of which was elicited by questions. On July 21, Patience was told that a body had been found at Taratuhi, and he was quite willing to go to Kaikoura and see it. Patience had always been open, answering questions frankly and respectfully. Steve Patience saw the body at Kaikoura and said it was his mother. He was not doubtful but was naturally very quiet. Jack Patience had not seen the body and had never been asked to identify it. He was not asked to look at the body because it was considered the body was sufficiently identified. Detective-Sergeant Herron said he wrapped the body up to send it to Christchurch. The truck was filled to the top of the side with hay, the stretcher being under a tent fly. The slack of the fly was under the stretcher so that no ropes were used to tie the body down. No sacking or similar material was near it.

Cross-examined by Mr. Brown, De-tective-Sergeant Herron said that when Patience said the body was not that of his wife, he asked him whether he could point out any different features about the body. Patience did not answer. Doctor In Box Dr. R, L. Withers, Kaikoura, said the body found at Taratuhi was that of a middle-aged, well-nourished woman. When he saw it it was quite dry and, knowing the district well, he knew it could not have been there long, otherwise birds and vermin would have destroyed it. There was no smell of decomposition. Answering Mr. Young, Dr. Withers said he could not recall his assistant, Dr. Stronach, attending Mrs. Patience or mentioning it. The body lay overnight in the Kaikoura morgue. He saw no ligature or sacking marks on the body. Re-examined by Mr. Donnelly, witness said he did not touch the body, making only a cursory examination. Cecil William Rudkin, manager of a woollen manufacturing firm, examined a piece of skin to which he said a piece or rib-stitch of fabric was adhering and, in his opinion, the garment produced was identical to the piece adhering. Replying to Mr. Gresson, witness said there were probably hundreds of singlets in New Zealand the same as those produced. Body Identified Arthur Patience said he last saw his mother at Claverley in September, 1938, when she appeared to be as usual and made no mention of leaving. On October 7 his father called and said his wife was missing. His father said he had missed £49._ Witness was surprised to know that nis lather had so much. On October 16 Patience told him that his mother had not been in the hut on the evening of October 4 and was still away in the morning. Arthur Patience said that he had identified the body in Kaikoura morgue on July 21 as that of his mother. Witness said he reported his mother’s disappearance to the police at Cheviot on October 18.

Cross-examined by Mr. Young, witness said he always got on well with both his parents. His mother had all she could reasonably want in the way of clothes and money. Arthur Patience said that at Kaikoura he looked for a yredding ring on the body but could not see one nor the mark where one had been. His mother had worn a tight-fitting ring. He looked for vaccination marks but he was not certain whether one mark was of vaccination. He saw no marks or ropes or sacking, but he was sure it was his mother's body.