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Trial told of murder accused's difficulties
The sister of murder accused Eric Neil Smail arrived at Keith Graeme McCormick?s house and found him sitting in his wheelchair with his throat cut and a knife on his chest.
Wendy Smail described the scene at her brother?s trial in the High Court at Christchurch, where he is being tried on a charge of murder before Justice Lester Chisholm and a jury.
She said she gave Mr McCormick a cuddle and a kiss and told him she was sorry. She had been a carer for Mr McCormick for about three years from 2002.
She had gone to the house after her brother phoned her on July 28, 2005, and told her he had killed Mr McCormick.
She said she didn?t believe him, but he said he had slit Mr McCormick?s throat and he was very upset.
He told her he was in the school grounds over the road from Mr McCormick?s house and she drove to the house.
She thought Smail might take his own life. He had had psychological difficulties before and had tried to take his life before, she said.
When she arrived at the house she walked into the lounge and found Mr McCormick in his wheelchair.
After she had telephoned the emergency services people started arriving at the house.
A neighbour told her he had found Smail in the school grounds and that Smail wanted to talk to her.
She said Smail was crying, so she gave him a cuddle. He kept saying he loved Mr McCormick.
She asked him if Mr McCormick had asked him to do it and he told her that he hadn?t.
He talked to her about going to prison for a long time and having to talk to the police.
She took him back to her car.
The police arrived soon after and put him in their car, she said.
In cross examination by Judith Ablett-Kerr QC, Miss Smail said it took her weeks to steel herself to walk away from caring for Mr McCormick and leave her job. She agreed that it would have been very hard if not impossible for Smail to do the same.
