CLAREVILLE SHOOTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1943, Page 4

CLAREVILLE SHOOTING

ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE LOWER COURT HEARING. ACCUSED APPEARS ON REMAND. A charge of attempting to murder Richard Andrew Webber, a taxi driver, at Clareville, on April 25, was preferred against Bennett Coles Middleton. 19, a seaman, when he appeared on remand in the Masterton Magistrate's Court this morning. Messrs H. E.Pither and A. D. Low, J's.P., were on the Bench.

Accused, who was represented by Mr C. A. Treadwell, of Wellington, was also charged with procuring a firearm without a permit and with the theft at Welling Lon on February 27, of an attache case and the sum of £4O, of a total value of £43, the property of New Zealand Breweries Ltd. Detective-Sergeant W. Kane, of Masterton, conducted the prosecution. On the application of Detective-Ser-geant Kane the two minor charges were adjourned until August 4. Dr. W. J. C. Wells, of Carterton, who saw Webber in his surgery, said he found a punctured wound on the right hand side at the back of Webber’s skull. The wound was unmistakably that cf a bullet wound. Dr. M. H. Purdy, house surgeon, Masterton Hospital, said Webber was admitted to the Masterton Hospital at 2.20 a.m. on April 25. Describing the wound, witness said the upward track of* the bullet brought it into contact with the base of Webber's skull. It was deflected into the muscle at the side of the neck. Dr, Purdy identified the bullet produced in court as being the one he had removed from Webber’s neck. The wound was consistent with that caused by a shot fired at close range and from behind.

VICTIM’S STORY. Richard Andrew Webber, taxi proprietor, of Masterton, said at 12.15 a.m. on April 25 he picked up the accused outside a restaurant in Queen Street. Accused asked him if he could drive him to Mr Fisher's place at Clareville. He got in the back seat and they set out for Clareville. On the way down witness asked accused where Mr Fisher’s place was and Middleton said he was not sure as he had only been there two days. As they neared Chester Road, by the Clareville racecourse, witness said he slowed up and asked Middleton if a house on the left hand side of the road was Fisher's place. He replied that it was further along so. Witness said he drove slowly for a few chains further until he came to a gate which Middleton said he thought was Fisher’s gate. The house was some distance back from the road. He fixed the position by a nearby lane, known as Neich’s lane.

“I said to the accused, ‘will this do you,’ ” said witness. He did not answer and I immediately received a shot in the back of the head. The accused opened the car door and ran away. I got out of the car and called for help. I got back towards the car and blew the horn. I heard the engine running and so decided to go to Carterton for assistance. After I had gone about a quarter of a mile I saw some people standing on the road. I pulled up. Webber said he picked up two Air Force men. He continued to drive and proceeded to the Carterton police station and from there went to Dr. Wells s surgery. The accused ran down Neich's lane. It was a dark, wet night. In reply to Mr Treadwell, Webber said the accused had a moustache then. He did not have one now. There was no difference'in his hair. Witness did not glance around when he spoke to Middleton. The shot occurred as he was'applying the brakes. He knew, as he went to the police station, that he was passing a doctor’s residence. He received no medical attention until he got to Dr. Wells’s surgery. It was a short distance from Dr. Wells’s surgery to the police station.

In reply to Mr Pither, Webber said he saw the accused as he ran away. He got a back and side view. Mr Treadwell: “On a dark night, eh?”

Webber said a brush which fell out of his car marked the spot where the incident occurred. William Wrack, of the R.N.Z.A.F., said he and another airman were cycling along the Carterton road when their attention was drawn to an approaching car. It had almost pulled up and they heard a shot fired. Then someone started calling out “I’m shot” and made a noise to attract attention. The noise came from the vicinity of the car. The shot sounded like a .22 one. He cycled towards the car and found Webber holding the back of his head with his hand. He was bleeding. Witness and his friend accompanied Webber to Dr. Wells’s surgery. He drove the car back to Masterton.

The Court then adjourned until this afternoon.