MURDER CHARGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1941, Page 6

MURDER CHARGE

I DEATH OF MRS HORTON SUPREME COURT HEARING OPENED. ACCUSED MAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The trial of Leonard Neiling, aged 29, on a charge of murdering Mrs Marjory Livingstone Horton, at Wellington on or about January 9, 1941, was opened before the Chief Justice (Sir M. Myers) today. Mr C. H. Weston, K.C., and Mr W. R. Birks appeared for the Crown and Mr W. E. Leicester and Mr T. P. McCarthy for the defence. There are 32 Crown witnesses. Accused pleaded not guilty. The defence challenged five jurors and the Crown three. Mr Weston opened the case for the Crown, outlining the events as described in the Lower Court hearing. Mr Weston described how Mrs Horton returned to the city from a visit to Lower Hutt in a bus, in which accused was also travelling. On arrival at Wellington, Neiling and Mrs Horton left the bus together, soon afterwards entering a taxi. Mr Weston said drink was obtained by Neiling at a hotel and the pair went to Oriental Bay. The taxi-driver would tell the Court that Neiling and Mrs Horton went down the bank at Oriental Bay after the taxi was paid off. Mrs Horton was found on the following day, unconscious, with 1 her face battered and bruised and with a broken jaw. A man’s blood-stained handkerchief had been found embedded in sand. It would seem, said Mr Weston, that Mrs Horton, while standing on pebbles was struck in the face with a fist. She was then forced back on the parapet. The Crown suggestion was that the assailant knotted a handkerchief round her face and then throttled her. Neiling had been accosted by the police at Auckland, on January 23. and the police had taken possession of a suit he was wearing and a bloodstained handkerchief. (Proceeding.)