DEATH OF INFANT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 124, 7 March 1930, Page 3

DEATH OF INFANT

MURDER CHARGE FAILS. CONCEALMENT OF BIRTH. * . .Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Kathleen Jeannie Dodd, a single womant, far wham Mr van Ascii appeared, was charged at the Amberley Magistrate’s Court yesterday, hemic Mr H. P. Lawi v, S.M., with the murder of her infant female child, at Vvaipara, on February 21. After evidence had been heard, the Magistrate dismissed the charge, lhe accused pleaded guilty to a charge of concealment of birth and was committed for sentence. Chief-Detective Carroll prosecuted on behalf of the police. Martin Flaherty, railway surfaceman at Waipara, stated that on February 25 at 4.30 p.m., he went to a waterhole on the riverbed and discovered the body of a child without clothing. The water hole was 500 yards from tne Waipara Hotel. ,\ Dr. Thompson, medical practitioner, of Amberley, stated that he carried cut a post-mortem examination on February 25 on the body of a female child. Dr. McQueen was present, rho result showed no external marks on the body except a slight abrasion on the left‘temple. The body was that of a fully developed female child winch had lived. The child had died from some obstruction causing suffocation. He could not sav whether the child had received proper attention at birth, hut in his opinion the cluld • woiild have lived with proper attention. He could form no opinion as to the cause oi the obstruction causing suffocation. There were no marks of violence To Mr van A sell, witness said: There was a danger to both mother and child when iio attention was rendered, and the girl, being alone, would not he normal mentally. The child might die at birth through lying on its face or under covering. Under the circumstances the girl would he in a nervous condition for days or weeks afterwards. She was in a highly strung condition. I cannot definitely - state that her statements would he accurate or otherwise. The child did not die from external violence. , _ To Chief-Detective Carroll: I.'saw. the accused after being interviewed by the police, and she did not appear to be in a normal condition. She was highly strung. , . . Dr. L. G. McQueen corroborated the evidence of Dr. Thompson concerning the post-mortem. To the police: The placing of a cloth over the nose and mouth of the child would cause death and leave no marks of violence. To Mr van Asch: It would depend oil the degree of force used. Georgina Potton, wife of tlie licensee of the Waipara Hotel, stated that accused entered her employment on December 18. About a week before the birth of the child witness was suspicious about accused’s condition. On Thursday night, February 20, the accused retired 1 about 9.0 or 9.30 in her usual state of health. The room she occupied had a door which led into the hack yard. On the following morning tlie accused was up at G. 30 and went about her work as usual. She said she had not been very well during the night. Witness gave her sonic brandy and offered to get the breakfast, hut she insisted on working. Y\ itness later taxed the girl with something being wrong. This she denied. The police later visited the hotel anil interviewed accused. Witness assisted her to pack her clothing. She told witness that Dr. Thompson said that she had suffocated the child, but she said she had not, and that it had not lived, and, being dead, she thought she would hide it.

Detective-Sergeant O’Brien gave evidence that when Constable Kennedy interviewed the accused at the AVaipara Hotel on February 26 she made a statement, which she signed and said was true. The statement related to the birth of the child and the disposal of the body. The Aragistrate stated that lie could not find any evidence warranting tlie committal of accused for trial, and the charge of murder would he dismissed. The accused then pleaded guilty to a charge of concealment of birth, and was remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence, bail being fixed on a surety of £SO.