PICTON MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1932, Page 3

PICTON MURDER

SATURDAY’S EVIDENCE. BLENHEIM, November 26. The trial, of Edward Tarrant, who is charged with, the murder at Picton, on November 3, 1931, of James Flood, was before' Mr “Justice' Bla.r in the Suprepre. Court, to-day. Mr Macassey, of Wellington, with him Mi-'MacNab, of Blenheim, appears for the Grown/ The- prisoner is Represented by Mr Parry, of Wellington, with'hum-"Mr Seantlebury of Blenheim. The Judge referred to arrangements for the jury to inspect the locality of the crime and this drew from Mr Parry the defence’s theory of the crime.

Mr Parry said the defence would gest that the murderer, whoever he might have been, resided somewhere on the east side of Devon Street, and that after leaving Flood’s cottage, he proceeded to' Devon Street by means of a short cut across a vacant section next Pratt's, and then diagonally . across ' the .Croquet / Club’s Lawn. The defence would suggest that the man dropped the key as he went and that later hp planted, the wallet under the croquet lawn hedge, . covering it with loaves.. Here Tarrant found it: early in January. It would be, admitted, continued Mr jParry, that he had no right to retain the money, but the fact that he did so did- not mean that he was a murderer. It would be admitted that Tarrant attempted to mislead the police a-s - to his possession of the money, until he wr.s' bowled out when he told the ‘truth that he had found it. Detective Hall was cross-examined at length. Witness admitted that the police had taken a pair: of Kahiki trousers belonging to the accused and a coat afterwards found to belong to the son. These articles had on them what appeared to be blood-stains. The ; stain on the coat was explained by the 'the- fact that the son had a wound on , his arm. Detectve Jarrold described the search for the wallet bn lines similar to the evidence given in the Lower Cou.vt. The Court adjourned at 1 o’clock to enable the jury to visit the scene of the murder.