OLDFIELD ACQUITTED ON MURDER CHARGE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 10297, 7 February 1930, Page 3

OLDFIELD ACQUITTED ON MURDER CHARGE

Found Not Guilty or. Ground of Insanity.

JUDGE AGREES WITH VERDICT.

y Timaru, Feb. 0. 0 The trial of Jack Oldtield, a farm er on a charge of having murderet d his wife, Christine Oldfield, at Sea a down, on January 13, by striking ' her on the head with an axe, wa; B ended to-day when the accused wa; ’ J found not guilty on the grounds o: f insanity. Judge Adams presided. * Mr W. D. Campbell, Crown prose j cutor, conducted the prosecution anc Mr F. J. Rolleston appeared fur the 1 defence. ; In opening the defence, Mr Rol--1 leston read a letter written by Mrs > Oldfield to her sister on January p. ; in which she said in part; . “We are slowly getting the rooms 1 straight, and they look very nice, I ; think. I get very, very tired, and 1 John gets very worried if he sees 1 me looking ill Co I always pull a long face when I see him coming). However, I suppose I will soon get used to it. “I’m afraid. Annie, things are far from satisfactory on the farm here. It Inis come as an awful shock. Xo wonder Jack has been worried about I money. The fact of the matter is the farm is gradually dropping money every year, and is not paying. I feel I must tell you, Annie, so don't breathe a word to mother, as it all goes to Aunt Harriet, but you can tell Xeltie and Lily if you like. Jack is nearly off his head with worry, and what with trying to pacify him and to keep a brave face myself 1 can tell you it’s hard. I really have been to dispirited to wiite before. 1 don't know what we will do, as 1 can’t see how he can make a success of this place at all. It looks as if he will lose every penny here.” Dr Beale, in evidence, said that melancholia had insanity as one of its accompaniments. From the events following tile Sragcdg he was of opinion that accused was actually suicidal and thought that: was accused’s condition before the tragedy. To Mi- Campbell, witness said the cause of the tragedy would be an indefinite mental condition. Immediately before killing his wife accused would be insane, and also at the time. At the preset time wit tie s thought he would certify acrused for a mental hospital. Dr F. F. A. Hlrich, of Timaru, said that accused first came under I hi> charge in the Timaru Military j Hospital -oni" yeais ago when he j uas suffering certain paralyA- cans- | ed by a gunshot wound. HR de-| pression and agitation Were most > marked when witness saw him first. Witness' opinion was that accused had made up his mind a week before the tragedy to lake his life. In witness’ opinion accused was suffering from simple melancholia. Xo doubt accused thought over the shame and misery for his wife if he committed suicide. On the morning of the, act he evidently suddenly decided to lake his wife with him and the tragedy was the result. Mr Campbell then presented the Clown's medical evidence. Dr A. C. McKillop, superintendent of the Sunnysidc Mental Hospital, said he examined accused, who described the tragedy to him. The symptons were difficult to base any particular form of insanity on, but there was no doubt accused was under acute depression. Accused would know what he was doing at the time- and know it was wrong. Witness did not think it was a sudden impulse that caused the act. Dr T. W. J- Charles, superintendent of the Seacliff Menial Hospital, said that from an examination of accused. he gathered that accused was. mentally depressed. In wi't'ness opinion accused had planned what he intended to do. He; would know that killing a person was wrong, but no doubt he felt justified in the state of misery he was in. Counsel and the judge addressed the jury comparatively shortly. The jury retired at 5.27 p.m. and returned twenty minutes later with a verdict of not guilty on the grounds of insanity. Accused was committed to the Sunnysidc Mental Hospital until the pleasure of the Minister of Justice 1 was known. I The judge staled that he thorough-)' ly agreed with the verdict. j