Constable William DUNN

Constable William DUNN

Shot

Berrima

26 November, 1839

 

On 15 November, 1839 the constable was shot to death at Berrima while making an arrest. At the trial of Thomas Leary, alias Sutton, in April 1841 witness Constable Cassidy told the court that “on the day of the incident, myself and the deceased (Dunn) were looking out for bushrangers, on seeing the prisoner and another man within fifty yards of the hut where witness and deceased stopped; deceased challenged them, on which the prisoner dropt on his knees, and on the deceased desiring him to stand up he did so; prisoner then said to deceased, who was about to handcuff him, “do not hurt my hands,” and immediately fired a pistol at the deceased, the ball of which passed into his head over the left eye; witness then fired at the prisoner…”

 

Another witness to the incident, John Ward, who was in the hut at the time, informed the court that “Cassidy and Dunn told the two men to drop on their knees. Dunn asked Cassidy for the handcuffs. Cassidy threw them on the ground and on Dunn stooping for them, he received a shot in the head and fell down.” Constable Dunn died eleven days later from the effects of the wound.

At the time of his death the constable was 31 years of age and is believed to have been stationed at Goulburn.

NSW BDM

Death:  341/1839 V183941 103

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