WOMAN REBUKED BY JUDGE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19258, 13 March 1928, Page 7

WOMAN REBUKED BY JUDGE.

"TRIED TO INFLUENCE JURY." A stern rebuke was given to the mother of an accused person by MCr Justice Blair in* the Hamilton Supreme Court last Thursday for attempting to discuss the case in which her son was concerned with the foreman of the jury » On the resumption of the Court in the afternoon Mr H. T. Gillies, Crown solicitor, said the foreman of the jury had reported that the mother of an accused man had approached him, an 3 had endeavoured to discuss the ease with him.

Mr Justice Blair had the person concerned called and asked her if what the foreman had said she had done was true.

"No, 1 didn't," said the woman. "All I said was that it was nine years ago to-day since my boy returned from the war. " . ■

The Judge said what the woman had done was a very serious matter. She had tried to influence the jury. His Honour said if anything like it occurred again he would have no hesitation in imposing a term of imprisonment on her for contempt of Court. The woman, he said, had done a very dangerous thing. It was fortunate that it was the foreman to whom she had spoken. An application for bail was refused by the Judge, who warned the public generally not to attempt to discuss the case with the jurymen.