CONSTABLE ACQUITTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 927, 21 March 1930, Page 1

CONSTABLE ACQUITTED

Killed Samoan Youth “SHOOTING WAS JUSTIFIED” Manslaughter Charge Fails Special fo PA. by Radio APIA. Wednesday. LANCE-CORPORAL RICKETTS was acquitted today by a court of four assessors of manslaughter relative to the death of the Samoan, Molia, who was shot by Ricketts during an affray with the police on January 22 and died on January 27 in the Apia Hospital The court’s finding was that Ricketts was justified in firing at Molia for protection, believing his life was in danger.

The four chiefs Namulanula, Leleua, Autagavaia, and Alipia appeared before Chief Judge Luxford for sentence today. First for sending a letter containing a threat to kill to Lagolago and Ainu’u Tasi, and secondly conspiring and* attempting to pervert, obstruct and defeat the course of justice in the case of O. F. Nelson versus Wilson and Horton, Ltd., since discontinued, they were each convicted and sentenced to' 17 months’ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. A “wanted” Samoan, Tupuivao, was sentenced to IS months’ imprisonment for assault on Constable Peterson in January of last year at Magiagi. When Peterson tried to arrest him Tupuivao, who was running from the constable, struck a back-hand blow with a long knife, causing a deep wound in the constable’s head, necessitating a fortnight in hospital and absence from duty for seven weeks. The dying depositions of Molia, as taken by Chief Judge Luxford, were as follows: “I was one of a party of 12 young men engaged in supplying food to the fugitive Samoans. The incident tdok place at about eight or nine in the morning. We were under four temporary shelters. I awoke to find a party of soldiers advancing. I was sleepy and dazed at first. All our party ran away, and I was the last to go. A policeman ran after me. I ran till I was exhausted, and then dropped to the ground. While I was in a sitting position, lie ran up to me, and with his revolver about IS inches from my body he shot me through the body. I had nothing whatsoever in my hands. I did not attempt to, pick up anything w r ith my hands. I was sitting looking up into his face when he shot. I did not receive more than one shot.” After this statement was published in New Zealand, the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, issued an announcement that the shooting of Molia was purely accidental. He said that the policeman’s revolver discharged when he tripped over a roc--.