Stewards’ Evidence In Murder Trial (Press, 4 March 1964)
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Summary: Stewards’ Evidence In Murder Trial (Press, 4 March 1964)
On 3 March 1964, in the Supreme Court at Wellington, William Edward Mathews, a ship's steward, provided testimony as a Crown witness in the murder trial of John Vincent, a 20-year-old deckhand. Vincent is accused of murdering David Alan Rowe, the chief steward of the New Zealand Star, on 1 January 1964, while the ship was en route between Panama and Christmas Island. Mathews, who had known Rowe for eight years, recounted seeing Vincent and Rowe together in Rowe’s cabin early on 27 December, just before the New Year. He described a New Year’s Eve party where he and Rowe departed together, and later, he noticed Rowe in a compromising position with another steward, Michael John Donoghue, shortly before returning to his cabin at approximately 10 p.m. Mathews later found Rowe injured in his cabin, bleeding from his head. During questioning, Mathews revealed that Rowe was known to be a practising homosexual and self-identified as a homosexual himself, known by the nickname "Jessie." Donoghue corroborated Mathews’ account, stating that on the night of Rowe's death, Rowe had attempted to kiss him before Donoghue went to the galley for food. At around 11:25 p.m., Donoghue discovered Rowe covered in blood and alerted the doctor. Trevor Norman Thompson, another deckhand, testified about a conversation he had with Vincent after the crime, where Vincent's remarks suggested an acknowledgment of involvement in Rowe's condition. Thompson noted that Vincent later urged him to forget what he had seen and heard that night. The trial aims to explore the circumstances surrounding Rowe's death, including the social dynamics among the crew, and will continue with further hearings.
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