Steward Acquitted On Both Charges (Press, 5 May 1966)

On 5 May 1966, it was reported that Keith Charles Johns, aged 23 and the former chief steward of the cargo and passenger vessel Durango, was acquitted by a jury of attempted murder charges. The trial lasted two days, followed by more than four hours of jury deliberation. Johns faced accusations stemming from a shooting incident that occurred on 3 February 1966, when the Durango was travelling 60 miles off the coast of Wellington en route to the United Kingdom. During the incident, another crew member, Anthony McGuire, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The Chief Justice, Sir Richard Wild, oversaw the proceedings and ultimately discharged Johns after the jury's not guilty verdict. In his closing arguments, Crown Prosecutor Mr W. R. Birks contended that eyewitness testimony supported the charges against Johns, despite his own claims that these accounts were fabricated. Defence counsel Mr. M. A. Bungay argued that the Crown failed to establish a clear motive for the shooting and pointed out that if Johns had intended to harm McGuire, his aim was surprisingly accurate considering he had been drinking. The Chief Justice elaborated on the legal requirements for sustaining charges of attempted murder, specifically addressing the necessity of proving intent to kill, which he suggested was absent in this case. Although it was acknowledged that Johns fired the gun, questions remained regarding his intentions. The Chief Justice invited the jury to reflect on why Johns had not described the incident as an accident initially. Testimonies were given by police detectives who had boarded the Durango and found an automatic pistol with ammunition in Johns's cabin, along with a spent cartridge. Johns recounted that he had been in his cabin with some stewards when McGuire abruptly entered, leading him to pick up the gun in a moment of fear, intending merely to scare McGuire, with the weapon accidentally discharging. Johns claimed he had been drinking but was not excessively intoxicated. He described McGuire as a neurotic individual who had harboured animosity towards him, claiming that McGuire had previously attempted to hire someone to assault him. In response to the allegations against him, Johns asserted his innocence regarding accusations of sexual relationships with crew members, including a young steward, and denied having any history of targeting McGuire. The jury's acquittal thus cleared him of all charges related to the incident.

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