MAN ARRESTED OVER ABBOTSFORD SHOOTING TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1948, Page 3

MAN ARRESTED OVER ABBOTSFORD SHOOTING TRAGEDY

After Search in Kaikorai Area P.A. DUNEDIN, August 5. A man named John Fraser, a malster. aged forty-eight, was arrested this morning in Kaikorai. Dunedin, following the violent death last night at Abbotsford, six miles south of Dunedin, near Green Island, of Alexander Sickles, aged 54, a storekeeper. Sickels was. killed by a 12gauge shot-gun fired at close range into his abdomen at 8.10 last night. His wife was on the premises and escaped to a neighbour’s place by climbing through a window. Sickels, who was 57 years of age. had been a well-known resident of the Green Island district all his life. The arrested man was allegedly identified by two people at the scene of the crime. They were the wife of the dead man and a neighbour, who arrived almost immediately after the shot was fired. All the local detective staff and available members of the uniformed branch were mobilised to look for the suspect. A description was issued by Chief Detective T. Y. Hall in the early hours of this morning. Information of his movements after the time of the tragedy gave possible leads and the trail eventually led to Waikari, in the Kaikorai district. About 8 a.m., searchers concentrated in this area and their efforts were rewarded when Fraser was arrested at a house in Salisbury street. He did not offer any resistance. Sickels and his wife were sitting in their dining room before an open fire-place when they heard a knock at their, back door. Sickels himself opened the door. There were some words, a cry of “Don’t do that”, and a shot rang out. Sickels fell to the floor, mortally wounded. A reconstruction of the crime indicates that the intruder then made his way down a passage towards the dining room. Mrs Sickels locked the door and escaped through a window of the room and ran to a neighbour’s for help. The neighbour, a young man employed in Dunedin, raced back to Sickels’ house, where he is alleged to have been challenged by the intruder. He ignored the challenge and reached Sickels as he died. The alleged assailant then disappeared into the darkness. The arrested man is the husband of Mrs Sickels’ sister. i

Fraser Charged With Murder P.A. DUNEDIN, August 5. Arrested at 10.5 this morning by Detective J. Lahmert, in Kaikorai Valley, John Fraser, labourer and maltster, aged 48, of Roslyn, appeared in the Police Court, and was charged with the murder of Alexander Sickles, at. Abbotsford, on Wednesday. Chief Detective T. Y. Hall, who was in charge of the police case, asked that the accused be remanded until next Thursday. He said that a further remand would then be requested. Mr C. H. Stevens, who appeared for the accused, told the Magistrate that he had been requested by Fraser to make aoplication for bail. Mr J. D. Willis, S.M.: “Bail on a murder charge?”

Mr Stevens: “The accused asked me to make application for bail”. Mr Willis: “You can’t have that”. The accused was remanded, by consent, in custody until Thursday. Fraser, who is sft 7in in height, appeared in the dock with glasses and a hearing aid. Bald, with bluegrey eyes, he was wearing a grey sports coat and grey cardigan blue trousers with a white stripe, and black shoes. The accused was married to Mrs Sickels’ sister. As the result of the prompt action of a neighbour in ringing the police, all the detectives and uniformed branch members available on Wednesday night were quickly transported to Abbotsford. Police inquiries were enabled to advance rapidly, and eventually the search narrowed to the Wakari-Kaikorai district. Evidence of identification of the dead man was given by a son-in-law, Malcolm William Morrison, at the inquest this morning. The Coroner, Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., adjourned the inquest sine die.