KAITAIA SHOOTING AFFRAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 3 September 1942, Page 2

KAITAIA SHOOTING AFFRAY

attempted murder charge CONSTABLE IN THE DOCK Whangarei, Sept. 2. Before a large crowd, mostly Dalmatians, which taxed the limited capacity of the Kaitaia Court, Mate Soko Urlich (38), Dalmatian, gumdigger, to-day told the sensational story of a shooting affray which led to the appearance in the dock of Herbert Hunter Barrett (41), police constable who was charged with the attempted murder of Urlich at Lake Ohia on 20th July.

Walking with the aid of a stick ovei which he bent Urlich gave his evidence to an interpreter, Peter Sulenta, and his recital was followed with intense interest by the crowd. Mr Raymond Femer, S.M., was on the bench, and Inspector J. Fox, Whangarei, prosecuted.

Dr. McKechnie, medical superintendent of the Mangonui Hospital at Kaitaia, related that Urlich was admitted suffering from the effects of two bullet wounds which had entered just below the left shoulder blade from behind. The left kidney was lacerated and the small intestine perforated. His condition was so critical that depositions were taken. Later the kidney had to be removed. The victim was now convalescent and would recover if his general health remained good.

Mate Soko Urlich told the court he was a single man. a labourer and a gumdigger, living at Lake Ohia. He was aged 28. and had known Barrett four or five years, the period of Barrett’s term as constable at Mangonui. They had always been on friendly terms. In August. 1941, Barrett had visited him, saying he wanted a loan of £250 which he had tried unsuccessfully to obtain elsewhere. He said he wanted it to take worries from his shoulders. Urlich agreed and drew the money from the post office, cashing the cheque at a bank and handing over the money to Barrett who gave a promissory note (produced) in exchange. The date was 29th August, 1941. and interest was to be paid over a three year term at 3 per cent. e\ r ery six months. On 20th July, 1942. he was walking home when Barrett in a car overtook him and offered him a ride. Barrett told him he had some money for him and drove him to John Urlich’s store. Mate waited for him about three-quarters of an hour and when Barrett returned they drove to Urlich’s camp, a corrugated iron hut. where they had a cup of tea and Barrett gave him £5 for interest. There would pay a further £2 10s which he would pay a flrther £2 10s which he owed at the end of August.

SHOTS FIRED “Barrett said he wanted me to take him to a high ridge to take plans,” continued Urlich. They went a good mile. Barrett following him. Barrett asked Urlich if he had told anybody about the money, and he replied he had not told anybody. The nearest occupied shanty from where they were walking would be about a mile. Returning, they were passing through some gum. Barrett following when Urlich heard two shots behind him and felt a third shot pass under his arm and felt an injury straight away in trie back. “I started to yell out and turned round,” Urlich said. “Barrett was about two yards behind. He dropped the revolver from his hand. Accused was going to pick it up, but I do not remember what happened to him. He fell into a gum hole and said not to hit him. 1 left him there. Accused was still in the gum hole a minute before he fired the shot. Accused asked how far it was from the place where I dig gum. After running almost a quarter of a mile I saw accused running behind me. I was in great pain, and feeling that accused might catch up to me I took a different track and reached a house occupied by a man named Divich.” Barrett was wearing gumboots, while witness was wearing light shoes, continued Urlich. He left his bank book in a mattress in his hut and on that morning had seen it but did not know where it was now. C RO S S-EX AMIN ATIO N Cross-examined, Urlich said he did not remember he had said before that Barrett had had a revolver in his hand when he (Urlich) turned round. He was not sure if he had said before that the third shot passed under his arm. Now he said the third shot had passed under his arm and that when ffe turned round the revolver was on the \round.

Ivan Divich said he was collecting firewood on 20th July when he heal'd two shots in the distance and then heard somebody yelling “Help, help.” Getting nervous, he grabbed an axe, left the wood and ran for his life. About ten minutes later he heard somebody yelling again. Going to the door he saw Urlich coming out of the tcatree from the direction from which he had heard the shot. He collapsed at the gate, bleeding from wounds.

Ivan Louie Jurlina, farmer, of Lake Ohia, said he accompanied Steve Urlich to the Kaiangaroa post office whare he telephoned the Mangonui police station and told Barrett, who answered the phone, that Mate Urlich had been shot and he wanted permission to take him to hospital. Barrett asked if Urlich had said who had done it. He replied that Urlich had not said, and that he was only concerned with getting Urlich to the hospital. Barrett told him to get the man to hospital. Witness asked Barrett to ring the doctor at the hospital and the Kaitaia police to meet them when they arrived. Police-Sergeant Simister, Kaitaia. said he received a telephone message from Barrett stating that Mate Urlich had been shot. Barrett said he had just returned from making enquiries in the Lake Ohia district where he had got his car stuck in a gum hole and was himself i n a terrible mess. Detective-Sergeant J. B. Finlay pro-

duced a statement signed by Barrett, who during its reading, was visibly agitated. In the statement Barrett said he realised that what he had done was irreparable and that he must face inevitable punishment. He was now anxious to do what he could to assist his fellow officers in completing their investigations and as far as possible relieve his own kin, particularly his wife and children, from any further stress and strain that would be connected with a lengthy investigation and consequent trial. He hoped that this, his confession, would to some extent relieve his agony of mind. Barrett detailed what had occurred and said it was not till Urlich got into thick scrub that a sudden urge came and he could not help himself, firing two shots into Urlich’s back. He then realised what he had done and called out that he would get a doctor, but Urlich disappeared. When he left Mangonui that afternoon he had no intentions of shooting Urlich. It was not till he had seen him on the road it came to mind.

His actions were due to financial worry. Barrett continued. He had borrowed money from a bank and to repay it he borrowed from Urlich. He had been financially involved since he purchased his last car. This had preyed on his mind. He also had had domestic troubles through sickness, doctors having to be brought from Kaitaia at a cost of £7 10s a visit. He realised the disaster he had brought on his family and was quite prepared to take his punishment like a man. No evidence was called for the defence.