WAINGAWA SHOOTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 June 1941, Page 6

WAINGAWA SHOOTING

YOUNG AIAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE I ON CHARGE OF CAUSING i BODILY HARM. PLEA OF GUILTY ENTERED. I Charged with having caused bodily harm to Norman S. Munn and Robert Gilbert under such circumstances that, had death occurred, he would have been charged with manslaughter. Ec-r--narr Dooling, cycle mechanic, aged 20. of Masterton, was committed to the Supreme Court, Wellington, for sentence by Messrs E. G. Eton and L. J. Taylor/ J’s.P., in the Magistrate's Court this morning. The proceedings occupied some two and a half hours. A considerable amount of evidence was taken.

Detective Sergeant W. Kane prose- t CUted and Mr S. V. Gooding appeared s for the accused. Mr Gooding entered a _ plea of guilty. Robert Gilbert, hotel porter, of Masterton. stated in evidence that, accom- j panied by his son, Keith Gilbert, and Norman Seymour Munn, he went to , the upper reaches of the Waingawa River cn Sunday afternoon, May 25, on a rabbit shooting trip. He had a 410 shotgun and Munn carried a .22 - rifle. His son was not armed. Munn shot a rabbit shortly afterwards. The shot was fired in the opposite direction to the river. He saw two utrer men shooting on the opposite bank. No other shots were fired. After walking _ around for a time all sat down i’oi a rest at. the edge of a clearing between two \otara trees. The opposite bank ■ would be 300 to 400 yards away and some 30 feet high. The guns were unloaded before the party sat down. Tne time would be 3.30 p.m. He heaid a . report shortly afterwards and felt a bullet’pass through his leg. Munn, who lav alongside him rolled over. He went to Munn’s assistance and tied up his forearm which was bleeding. Witness’s leg was also bleeding freely. The party returned to Masterton and received medical attention. He iuiew ol no reason why anyone should shoot at them. As a result of his injury ne was laid up for a week. Evidence on similar lines was given by Norman S. Munn and Keith Gilbert. Robert Miller, who accompanied the accused, stated that while they were shooting on the Kaituna side of the Waingawa River, two shots richocheted dangerously close to them. He took cover and Dooling went into some scrub. Dooling fired a shot and later joined him. Dr N. H. Prior gave medical evidence. He Stated that following an examination of Munn’s arm he dressed the wound and operated on his arm • at the hospital next morning. He re-

moved a bullet, flattened on one side. Dr Prior also stated that he examined ’ Gilbert. A bullet had passed througn i his skin, grazing the bone. He was ‘ able to pass glass tubing with antiseptic on it through the wound. He pro- , duced the bullet taken from Munn’s ’ arm. Gilbert’s injuries could have [ been caused by it. , Detective-Sergeant Kane stated that he had interviewed Dooling on May 25. Dooling admitted that he had been - shooting on the Waingawa River that • afternoon and produced a .22 rifle and , rounds of ammunition similar to chat . he had used. Dooling had made a > statement in which he said he saw a man lying under a tree, opposite him, , seme 200 or mure yards away. He lay I down and took aim and fired at a patch i of grass 50 yards away to the right ol ; the man. He was under the impres--1 sion that the man was firing at him, so t he fired a shot to let him know of his (Dooling’s) presence. He was not re- =* turning fire and did not aim directly at t the man. The detective-sergeant gave - evidence as to the nature of the coun- - try in the vicinity. s Constable A. W. Nalder added to the i evidence given by Detective-Sergeant - Kane. On the application of Mr Gooding, bail was renewed at £250 (self) and £250 (surety) with the proviso that the accused report daily at the police station. Detective-Sergeant Kane pointed out that the Bench was treating the accused lightly owing to the seriousness of the charge. However, he had no objection to bail being renewed.