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David Stewart Dawson
■> Foiand Guilty
SYDNEY, Friday.—Quarter .Session* jury to-day
convicted David SteWart Dawson (24), company
director, of having maliciously wounded George Kan
kin McKay, former Royal Navy bfficer, with intent to
inflict grievous bodily harm at Palm Beach on Septem
ber 9.
The jury asked for leniency
because of Dawson's age. Dawson
was remanded until Monday for
sentence. ,
After the Court adjourned Stuart
Stewart-Dawson. the accused’s
father, collapsed In the vestibule.
He was carried outside, and lay hi
his wife’s arms for about 15 min
utes. He was gasping for breath.
Dawson accepted the verdict
calmly. His stepmother, Mrs. Jean
Stewart Dawson, wept.
The jury retired at 3.B p.m. and
returned its verdict at 4.52 p.m.
Detective Sgt. G. Gray, said, he
knew nothing serious against
Dawson, but could not say any
thing in his favour. *
From inauirles it appeared, that
he was Bpollcd in his younger years.
That was largely due to his parents
Mr. Shand JK.C. (for * Da\ytnn)
applying for a bond, said the evi
dence stated that McKay behaved
offensively and disgustingly in .the
Dawson household. There was
some provocation in his insulting
treatment of Mrs. Stuart Dawson.
Because of. the jury’s recommen
dation, he asked for a bond.
"GREAT PROVOCATIONS
The Crown Prosecutor
r Rooney) said tne crown conceueu
Dawson was under great provoca-|
tion. His early training probably
developed a trace of egotism
which might have been absent to- j
I day if he had had proper paren
tal control. 1
Mr. Justice Holt, summing up.
directed the Jury to disregard any
Imputation in the Crown’s ques
tions abdiit the nlckna'mc "Trig
ger" Dawson.
The appellation had been used
on only one occasion after Sep
tember 8. 'me evidence of the
suggestion that Dawson frequent
ed the society of gunmen was ad
mitted only on the question of
Dawson's credit. It would be un
fair tojiecide that if Dawson were
an associate of gunmen he could,
have committed this crime.
Referring to the conversation
between Mrs. Verspoor and Daw
son after the shooting, Mr. Jus
tice Holt said both accounts of
the conversation were completely
divergent.
“If you can believe one of these
accounts It may be the testing
ground of this case. The question
of the credit of witnesses is one of
the greatest problems of this
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