Charge Of Attempted Murder

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31047, 30 April 1966, Page 16

Charge Of Attempted Murder

Evidence on a charge against a 15-year-old girl of attempting to murder her mother in Christchurch on January 29 was concluded before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Children’s Court yesterday. The hearing was adjourned until next Friday for submissions by counsel. The girl's 16-year-old sister said in evidence that she and her next two sisters had that morning discussed talking to their mother about her growling at them. There was men-

tion of a knife, and she supposed its purpose was to frighten her mother. Cross-examined by Mr P. G. S. Penlington, for the accused, the witness agreed she and her two sisters were “in it together.” They were fed up with their mother because of her growling, she said. The third sister said that i in discussion about the knife the accused said she was going to “use it on mum.” The idea was to frighten their mother. Detective Sergeant Neville John Stokes said that when he asked what had happened to her mother, the accused replied: “I put the bread

knife through mum.” She said they were all sick of their mother and wanted to get rid of her. “I asked what was wrong at home, and she said her mother was always making them work too hard, was always moaning at them, and wouldn’t let them go out with friends,” the witness said. The accused said that when she put the knife in she thought her mother would probably die, and did not care. She was sick of her and wanted to get rid of her. Opening the case for the defence, Mr Penlington said stabbing was not contested.

The defence turned on intent to kill. Thomas Edwin Hall, medical superintendent of Sunnyside Hospital, said the accused was of retarded physical development. Intellectually she was between dull and low-normal. Her mental age was about 13| years. In deciding to stab her mother she gave little or no thought to what it would do to her mother or the consequences to herself. She did not fully conceive the full sequence of events. He said the accused .felt neglected by her mother. Her upbringing would not encourage emotional maturity, i