DISCHARGE OF RIFLE
BOY ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL
A boy named Denis Cremin, aged five years, a son of Mr D. J. Cremin. of 7 Canada Street. Timaru, was admitted to the Timaru Hospital last night suffering from an injury to the chest and abdomen caused by the discharge of a rifle. It is understood that the boy secured the rifle not knowing it was loaded, and it exploded. An operation was performed at 9.30 o’clock last night. -Timaru Herald, 6/11/1939.
DEATH
CREMIN — On November 6, 1939, at Timaru, Denis John, dearly beloved only child of Hinemoa and Denis Cremin, of 7 Canada Street; aged 5 years. (Result of an accident.) -Timaru Herald, 7/11/1939.
DEATH OF BOY
Firearms In Reach Of Children
Coroner’s Warning
“This case again emphasises the danger of leaving firearms within reach of children,” observed the Coroner (Mr H. Morgan) in giving his verdict at the inquest into the death of Denis John Cremin, aged 5 1/2 years, who died in the Timaru Public Hospital on November 6 as the result of a wound from a rifle shot discharged by Robert Eric Dale, aged 13.
“The evidence shows clearly what happened,” said Mr Morgan. “Robert Dale took this rifle from the cupboard and it was discharged into the abdomen of the boy. Robert Dale had been warned by his parents and by his brother not to touch the rifle. In disobeying the order he has been the cause of the death of this boy. He probably did not realise the seriousness of his action and the danger, as he said he did not observe that the magazine was attached to the rifle. It is an unfortunate tragedy.”
Sergeant R. Henry represented the police.
Dr. G. R. Kingston said that Cremin had been admitted to the Public Hospital on November 5 after being shot in the right front chest, and the wound of entry was bleeding. Shock was profound and there was evidence of internal haemorrhage, probably from the liver. An X-ray was taken and an operation was considered justifiable. The condition of the boy was critical throughout. A blood transfusion was made in the early morning, and in spite of all that could be done the boy died the following day. The cause of death was abdominal injury due to a gun shot wound, with haemorrhage and profound shock.
Loading Demonstrated
Robert Eric Dale, aged 13 years, said that on November 5 Denis Cremin, Ian McConnell, aged seven, and Geoffrey McConnell, aged four, were visiting his parents at Fairview. About 4 p.m. he took the three boys to a shed in which he slept and asked them if they would like to see a rifle which he knew was in the cupboard. He took out the rifle and drew back the bolt to show the boys how it was loaded and then pulled the trigger. The rifle exploded. Immediately, the boy Cremin started to cry and stood crying for about half a minute before falling on the floor. The magazine was in the rifle when witness took it from the cupboard, but he did not examine the rifle to see if there were any live shells in the magazine before he drew back the bolt, nor did he know there was a live shell in the breech when he opened and closed the bolt. The rifle was not pointing at any particular boy when he pulled the trigger. Witness informed the Coroner that he had not previously demonstrated the rifle to boys. He knew the purpose of the magazine and had seen it detached from the rifle, but did not notice that it was attached when he picked up the rifle on that occasion. The boy Cremin was standing about 15 feet from him when he pulled the trigger. His father and mother had warned him not to touch the rifle.
Ian Alexander McConnell, aged seven years, who was questioned by the Coroner, said that he went with two or three other boys to the bedroom at Dale's place and saw Robert Dale get a gun from a cupboard and hold it in his hand, but could not say how it was pointing when he pulled the trigger. So far as witness knew, Dale did not say he would show the boys how the rifle worked. Witness heard the report from the rifle when it went off. The boy Cremin started to cry and then fell over.
Brother’s Warning
Noel David Dale, a joiner employed by Jackson and Co., said he was the registered owner of a .22 calibre automatic rifle, which, on the Thursday before the accident, he had cleaned and assembled and placed in an open cupboard in a shed where witness and a younger brother, Robert Eric Dale, slept. It was the usual practice of witness to keep the magazine out of the rifle when not in use, but on assembling it on that occasion he must have placed the magazine in the rifle. The magazine contained a number of live cartridges. His younger brother had fired shots from the rifle in the presence of witness, but so far as he knew the boy had never had the rifle out alone.
To the Coroner witness said that the magazine was kept in a separate cupboard from the rifle, but the cupboard was not locked and his younger brother could easily have got it. While he had not actually demonstrated the rifle to the boy, his brother had watched witness assembling the rifle and could at any time have got hold of the rifle and magazine and loaded it. Witness had warned the boy not to touch the rifle, and had no reason to believe he had done so previously.
Constable J. Devlin gave formal evidence. The verdict was in accordance with the medical evidence. -Timaru Herald, 12/12/1939.
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