PONSONBY MURDER

Southland Times, Issue 18831, 26 May 1920, Page 5

PONSONBY MURDER

TRIAL OF DENNIS GUNN. A DISPUTED NOTE. (Per L'nitcd Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 25. The trial of Dennis Gunn on the charge of murdering A. E. Braithwaite, postmaster at Ponsonby, on March 13 last, was continued in the Supreme Court to-day, when further evidence for the Crown was heard. The greater portion of the evidence was a repetition of that given in the Lower Court, and dealt with the discovery of the robbery at the [tost office, and accused’s movements on the day of the murder.

Detective-Sergeant Cummings said he hud obtained a signed statement from Thomas Gunn, brother of accused, to the effect that he had not seen accused between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the day of the murder.

Mr Reed, K.C., for accused, said he was instructed by Thomas Gunn that he told Cummings that he left his brother at 7 p.m.

The statement in question was written in a notebook produced by Cummings. Mr Reed asked to see the figure. He said he did not wish to make any suggestion but his instructions were that the hour given was 7 p.m. The notebook was handed over, and Mr Reed invited the Crown to put the book in, saying that for formal reasons he did not care to put it in himself. He wished to have the figure examined by an expert. He stated, however, that he had always found Sergeant Cummings’s evidence straightforward and siticere.

Eventually the book was handed to the Registrar [lending examination. At a later stage His Honour ruled that questions bearing on the police investigations which were not given in evidence were not admissible.

The case was adjourned till to-morrow.