FOR THE DEFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 9

FOR THE DEFENCE.

MR. NQRTHCROFT'S ADDRESS. ONUS OF PROOF ON CROWN. "NOT A SCEAP OF EVIDENCE." Reiterating that there was not a scrap of evidence that Munn gave his wife prison, Mr. E. H. Northcroft, counsel for the defence, continued his address yesterday afternoon until 5 p.m. and again from 10 a.m. until 11.50 to-day. Eeferring to the suggestion by the Crown that the duchess in which the poison was found was 2ft away from the bed which Mrs. Munn had occupied, Mr. Northcroft said that the evidence that difficulty had been experienced by the undertaker in removing the coffin from the bed indicated there was abundant proof that a serious error had been made by the police. Regarding Munn's alleged use of the expression that he had "done all he could for the damned woman," counsel , held that Munn's account of the conversation was much more probable than that of the police. As for the finding of the bottle of pills after the case started the inference was that the original searchings by the police were not as thorough as they had said. Continuing, Mr. Northcroft said the suggestion that the advertisement put in the paper by Munn for a woman was the first step in getting rid of his wife was ridiculous. He gave his" name and address quite openly at the newspaper office. If Munn wanted to murder his wife, why did he buy the strychnine at the Northcote chemist's, where he was well known?