CYCLIST KILLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 411, 20 July 1928, Page 13

CYCLIST KILLED

TAXI-DRIVER CHARGED WITNESS CHANGES MIND (From Our Oven Correspondent.) ROTORUA, Thursday. Following the death of a cyclist, John O’Connor, who was knocked down and killed by a motor-car on June 29, Arthur Duncan, a taxidriver, appeared in the Police Court to-day on charges of negligently driving his car so as to cause O’Connor's death; and also with being intoxicated while in charge of a car. George Hodgson, employed at King George V. Hospital, said O'Connor was a gardener, employed at the hospital. He was 40 years of age. Dr R. S. Whiteside, of King George Hospital, described deceased’s injuries, which were all in the skull. Death would be instantaneous. The Injuries could not have been caused by deceased falling from his bicycle. TWO DIFFERENT STATEMENTS H. Rikihanga, said he and some friends at about 5.30 p.m. on June 29, went to the Whaka Hotel. He did not see the accused in the hotel at all. The ! party went back in the accused’s car jto Rotorua. Duncan was driving the I .car all right, and he was quite sober. When asked why he did not make ; the same statement to Constable Johnson as he made now, witness said he had forgotten what he said about the car being driven in an erratic manner. ‘T told the constable I thought the accused was drunk, with the hope that it would make it better for him. I did say that he drove about the road in a zig-zag manner. I did tell the constable that I asked the driver not to go so fast. The statement I make now is correct Why I made two different statements was that I thought it would benefit accused.” CAR WITH BLOOD ON IT N. W. Braith waite, engineer, said that ho was driving in from Ngongotaha on the evening of the accident. When near Rotorua he saw a car at the side of the road, and a man called out and asked him to give him a lift, because the steering gear of his car had gone wrong, and he had struck a post. His face and hands were bleeding. When he returned he saw the car at tho side of the road, and examined it, and found nothing wrong with the steering gear. There was blood over the car in several places. Motu Hike Rikihanga gave similar evidence to tho other Maori, as to the accused driving on his right side and being sober.

Evidence was also given of two statements made by accused, in one of which he confessed that he knocked O’Connor down and ran away because he was afraid.

The accused pleaded not guilty. The magistrate said that there was no evidence of his being drunk, and he would dismiss that charge, but on the other charge he would be committed for trial at the Supreme Court. Bail was allowed as formerly.