MAN WHO RAN AWAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 450, 4 September 1928, Page 12

MAN WHO RAN AWAY

NO CASE AGAINST MOTORIST CALLOUS ACT CONDEMNED (Front Our Oven Correspondent J HAMILTON, Monday. Charged with negligently driving a car at Rotorua, thereby causing the death of John O'Connor on June 29, Arthur Duncan, a Maori taxi-driver, was found not guilty by the jury in the Supreme Court to-day and was discharged. Further evidence was given by a young Maori. Heke Rikihana, who said accused drove him and other natives from a forestry plantation some distance out of Rotorua to Whakarewarewa on June'29. Duncan drove very well, and was quite sober. Constable Callaghan said he was unable to find Duncan that night. Sergeant Hogan said he looked for Duncan that night, but could not find him. Early next day Duncan came to the police station and made a statement regarding a collision that he said had occurred between his car and a bridge the night before. He said nothing about the fatality on the Whakarewarewa Road at that stage. Duncan made another statement subsequently to Detective White, in which he admitted being concerned in the fatality, and expressed regret for having caused O’Connor’s death and for having left his body on the road. The judge agreed with Mr. Hampsou that tlie case was not a very strong one, and it was very doubtful if there was a case to answer.

The court adjourned for a few minutes, and when it resumed the jury intimated that it did not require to hear the defence, and returned a verdict. of not guilty. The jury added that prisoner’s action in leaving the scene of the accident in the way he did could not be too strongly condemned. His Honour said he agreed with the jury’s verdict, and observed that Duncan would probably be dealt with In another court for his action in not reporting the fatality. The prisoner was discharged.