Young Men Deny Charges Of Indecent Assault,... (Press, 31 March 1960)

On 30 March 1960, three young men, Donald Paul Munro, 23, Raymond Carpinter, and Garry Nixon, were involved in a court case in Wellington related to indecent assault and robbery. Munro pleaded not guilty to indecently assaulting Jan Morris Murray, also 23, while Murray and Maurice Rupert Larkin, 24, denied charges of robbing Munro and his friends of money. All accused were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The incidents began when Munro met Murray outside the Royal Oak Hotel and, after being invited to Murray’s room at the Savoy Hotel, Munro claimed that Murray made indecent advances towards him. Following this, Larkin joined, and both men subsequently attacked Munro. They stole £11 from his wallet and also took 10s from each of Munro's friends, Carpinter and Nixon, during further altercations. Munro testified that upon being approached by the two men, he was taken to Murray's room where he was threatened with a razor. Murray produced the razor and warned Munro to be quiet or face injury. They threatened and intimidated Munro as they rifled through his belongings. Later, they accompanied him to his flat, which was also searched and ransacked. Nixon, another victim, corroborated Munro's story, stating that he was also threatened by the duo to hand over money. He described a similar incident where Larkin used a razor to intimidate him into giving up his cash. Carpinter, arriving shortly after, experienced the same coercive tactics that led him to part with his money as well. Murray, in his own defence, claimed that he had not taken any money from Munro or his friends, and highlighted that they had all admitted to him that they were "queers". Contrarily, Munro admitted to the alleged indecent conduct, asserting that it was initiated by Murray. Larkin, in a written statement, acknowledged that he and Murray had taken Munro's money but expressed disinterest in the money from Munro's friends, citing it was not initially theirs for the taking. The case highlighted complex interactions between the parties involved, with detailed testimonies emerging regarding intimidation and allegations of sexual misconduct. Detective evidence suggested that a list of names found in Murray's room would be instrumental during the upcoming trial, hinting at potential connections and further implications in the case. The matter of sexual advances leading to subsequent robbery and violence has raised significant discussion on themes of consent and criminal behaviour, which would be examined in the upcoming court proceedings.

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