EX-CONSTABLE'S PUNISHMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 79, 3 April 1911, Page 7

EX-CONSTABLE'S PUNISHMENT.

MELBOURNE, Saturday.

In the Criminal Court at Melbourne, James Walsh, ex-constaible (59), was charged with having, on November 23, 1910, wounded 'his wife, Catherine Walsh (58), with intent to murder h«r. There •was also a charge of having wounded hie "wife with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. Catherine Walsh said the accused threw her down and kicked her, and when ehe got up she felt three blows. 6he could not speak to man, woman, or child without his being jealous. Several witnesses gave evidence that they caw accused strike his wife with an axe. The defence was that accused was not guilty of 'any criminal offence, because at the time the acts were done he was not responsible for those acts. T&e Chief Justice, in summing up, said that if accused's plea of insanity was accepted, any man in the community might come into court and set up a plea that something had angered him and put him off his ordinary self-con-trol, and that he did sot know what he was doing. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on the second count of wounding with iritent to do grievoue bodily barm, but strongly recommended accused to mercy. The Prisoner: Mercy! I want none. I ask for none. The Chief Justice imposed a sentence of five years' hard labour.