MURDER CHARGE IN SYDNEY

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28473, 31 December 1957, Page 9

MURDER CHARGE IN SYDNEY

(Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 30 A 38-year-old British war hero shot and killed his wife and two children on Saturday because he feared their future was insecure. Liverpool Court was told today His counsel, Mr J. Thom, said the man, Spencer Cartwright, formerly of Stoke-on-Trent, was known to his neighbours as “a loving father and a devoted husband.”

Cartwright had been a membei of a famous Royal Air Force Bomber Squadron, No. 460, only 5 per cent, of whose members survived the war.

Cartwright was charged witn the murder of his wife, Jean Mary Cartwright, aged 33, and two children, Elaine, aged 11 and David, aged five, at the migrant centre last Saturday. Mr Thom asked that a psychiatrist examine Cartwright to determine the motive for the offences. Cartwright had acted as he did because he feared for the future of his wife and children During the war years, Cartwrigni made 50 operational flights over Europe, and had been decorated with the D.F.C. Mr E. T. Smythe, S.M., remanded Cartwright, a purchasing officer of the British Migrant Centre, East Hills, to appear at Liverpool Court on January 31 and recommended that a psychiatric survey be parried out as soon as possible.