Burned Home To “Discipline Family”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29828, 22 May 1962, Page 14

Burned Home To “Discipline Family”

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 21. Neville Verdon Woodley, aged 43, a workman, was today found guilty by a Supreme Court at Wellington of wilfully setting fire to a house at Martinborough. The Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough) remanded him for sentence.

Evelyn Frances Strang married, of Martinborough, said Woodley and his wife and three of their children came to her home on March 31 Woodley and his wife had a slight disagreement and Woodley left about 9 p.m Before he went he said that if his wife was not home by the time he got home there would be nothing left to come home to James Farquharson Frain. a constable, said he saw Woodley standing by the back fence of his property while the house was blazing Woodley said. “I did it" Woodley had been drinking but was not intoxicated Kevin George Moorhead, a State Advances Corporation clerk, said the corporation held a mortgage on the house About £l5ll was owing on the mortgage The corporation had paid fire insurance on the dwelling. Henry Charles Brougham, manager of the State Fire Office at Masterton, said his office had insured Woodley’s house for £2770 Woodley, in evidence, said he had obtained a rehabilitation loan for the house To his Honour he said he intended to burn down the house when he set fire to it He had set the curtains alight Mr C Bayliss (Woodley's counsel): ' Was there some feeling of strain in your family at about this time? Woodley: The home had broken- up Woodley said he had had trouble with his eldest son

who was 23 Another son was due to appear in the Children’s Court Mr Bayliss: Were you trying to control your family to discipline them and keep them under proper supervision?—Yes. but the eldest boy stepped in once or twice My wife would not let me hit them or keep them under control They were wild Were those things preying on your mind?—Yes Woodley, asked by Mr Bayliss why he set fire to the house, said it was to try to help his family He had thought he might be able “to put them on the right road and make things up again.”