DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1931, Page 6

DOMINION ITEMS.

KERR CONVICTED. (By Telegraph —Per Press Association) HAMILTON, June 13. Frank James Kerr, aged forty years, was tried to-day in the Supreme Court at Hamilton on a charge of attempting to murder Gertrude 'Edith West, aged eighteen, at Te Awamutu, on January 24. Mr IH. T. Gillies, for the Crown, said that the prisoner had been paying attentions to .Miss West. These were acceptable neither to the girl nor to her parents. Kerr kept pestering the girl and finally was ordered to remain away from the house. A few nigbt-s before the shooting Kerr attempted again to see the girl. 'The girl's parents were poor and her mother hacl to go out to do cleaning work. Dn the morning of 'January 21, Miss West was returning from her office cleaning work when Kerr, who it would be shown, bad borrowed a shot gun, followed her up in a motor-car and spoke to her. She resented his approach, passing on home. Later Kerr called at her parents’ house and there in the garden shot the girl, inflicting a. very severe wound necessitating the girl s remaining in hospital for a lengthy period, during which time her life was despaired of. The prisoner, immediately after the shooting, said he had bred the gun accidentally. The whole question for th'e jury to decide was whether Kerr went to the house with the deliberate intention of shooting the girl or whether the gun went off accidentally.

Miss West gave evidence on the lines of her evidence in the Lower Court. Kerr was convicted, and sentence was postponed till Monday.

KERR SENTENCED. SEVEN YEARS HARD LABOUR. HAMILTON, June 15. At the Supremo Court, Hamilton, this morning, Frank James Kerr, 40. was found guilty on Friday of the attempted murder of Gertrude Edith West, 19, at l'e Awamutu on January 24, was sentenced to seven years hard larbour.

HAIR DR ESSE lIS’ I’R ICES. AUCKLAND. June 13. Hairdressers in the city have reduced the price of a haircut from eighteen pence to fifteen pence. No reduction has been made in the price of a shave, nine ponce, which is declared to he unprofitable, now, nor in the price, of women’s haircutting.