Chief Steward Faces Charge Of Attempted Murder (Press, 4 May 1966)

The trial of 23-year-old Keith Charles Johns, chief steward of the Durango, commenced in the Supreme Court on 4 May 1966, concerning the attempted murder of his assistant steward, Anthony McGuire, on 4 February. Johns faces charges of attempted murder and, alternatively, the intent to cause grievous bodily harm through the discharge of a firearm. Chief Justice Sir Richard Wild presided over the case. The trial opened with the Crown's case presented by Mr W. R. Birks, who outlined the events leading to the shooting. That evening, the Durango departed from Wellington with a few passengers, including Sir Walter Nash, who was celebrated with a farewell party. Throughout the evening, Johns was seen entering and exiting the cabin across from his own, where Forrester, another steward, observed Johns with a small gun in a holster. At one point, Johns pulled out the gun and fired a shot into a locker, which struck a birthday cake intended for Sir Walter Nash. Later, despite being warned about the gun, a steward returned it to Johns after he reassured them he would not harm McGuire. Shortly after, Johns allegedly shot McGuire and boasted about it to the second officer aboard. The officer did not initially believe him, but upon investigation, it was discovered that McGuire was wounded in the abdomen. The captain, upon confirming the presence of a live cartridge in the gun and several more in the magazine, decided to return the ship to Wellington. Gordon Stephen Joseph Forrester, a 17-year-old steward’s boy who had been working on the Durango, testified that he had not participated in the earlier festivities and later entered Johns's cabin to assist with some book work. He recounted being awakened by Johns, who was then in the company of McGuire. Forrester noted that Johns sent him away and shortly thereafter, he heard a shot and found McGuire injured, with Johns standing nearby holding the gun. Anthony Thomas McGuire, the victim, testified that he had gone to bed early and was later awakened by Johns who invited him for a drink. Although hesitant, he felt compelled to accept. After Forrester was instructed to leave, Johns repeatedly entered and exited the cabin before ultimately shooting McGuire in the abdomen. Following the shooting, he claimed that stewards conspired to fabricate a story about the incident. The evidence from both Forrester and McGuire presented a complicated web of relationships and events, including potential underlying tensions. McGuire, who claimed to have no reason for Johns to wish him harm, recalled a reprimand he had received from Johns shortly before the incident. The trial continues to unfold, with further testimonies expected to shed light on the motives and circumstances surrounding the incident.

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