‘Matthews Schizophrenic’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31123, 28 July 1966, Page 18

‘Matthews Schizophrenic’

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 27. A psychiatrist said in the Supreme Court at Auckland today he believed that schizophrenia was the correct diagnosis of the condition of Robert Matthews.

Laurie Kalman Gluckman was giving defence evidence in the trial of Matthews, aged 39, a blacksmith, who is charged with the murder of his wife. Eliza Matthews. Defence evidence was completed today and Mr D. S. Mor-

ris, for the Crown, will call medical evidence in rebuttal tomorrow. Gluckman gave evidence of making a long examination of Matthews at Auckland Prison. During it, Matthews had told him he remembered vaguely beginning to hit his wife and had said he was not normally given to violence. He said Matthews could have bouts of impulsive violence and depression. Mr Morris: Is Matthews, whom you diagnose as a schizophrenic, ever capable of knowing that an act that he does is morally wrong having regard to the commonly accepted standards of right and wrong?—Yes, he is. Philomena Matthews, aged 17, a niece of the accused,

said Mrs Matthews visited her sister's home on March 11. A group of the family was present. They were drinking and singing Maori songs. Mrs Matthews was sitting on a couch drinking. She lost her balance and fell over. In falling sideways Mrs Matthews struck her bead on a half-open door. She went a deep red colour and kept saying she was tired. Shortly afterwards she vomited. Donald Dixon McKenzie, a neuro-surgeon, said a drunken stupor could very easily be mistaken for a coma due to a head injury. He cited two cases where death took place eight or nine hours after accidents in which the victims suffered head injuries.