MAGISTRATE’S COURT Mother Elects Trial On Charge Of Murdering Child

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32358, 25 July 1970, Page 9

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Mother Elects Trial On Charge Of Murdering Child

A woman who told the police she had killed her six-year-old son to “put him out of his misery,” was committed to the Supreme Court for trial when she pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder after the taking of depositions of evidence before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. . The accused, Alice Shirley 1

Pluck, aged 35, a housewife, was charged with the murder of Stephen Thomas Pluck at Christchurch on May 11. On the application of her counsel the Magistrate ordered that she be detained in a psychiatric hospital pending her trial. She was represented by Mr J. G. Leggat, with him Mr C. C. H. Knight Mr N. W.

Williamson appeared for the Crown. Mr Leggat submitted two medical certificates to the Court in support of his application for the accused’s detention under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Amendment Act, 1969. He said this course was considered preferable to her being remanded in prison. The application was not opposed by the Crown. Mr Leggat reserved his defence. Detective’s Evidence Detective Bruce Alexander Scott said in evidence that he interviewed the accused in her house at 26 Lambeth Crescent on the morning of May 11. She described to him how she found her son, Stephen, lying in his bed about 8.30 a.m. with a plastic bag over his head, but did nothing about it as she thought he was acting the foot The witness said she told him that about 20 minutes later she went back to the bedroom. The bag was still over his head and he had a nylon stocking round his head below his nose, and a belt tied round his throat. The witness said the accused told him she did not touch Stephen because “he looked perfectly all right.” She thought he was still acting the fool, but a while later she thought the bag bad been over his head for too long and returned to the bedroom. This time she found Stephen lying face down on the floor. She could not undo the things round his neck so she cut through them with scissors. There was a stocking, a coat belt, and a dress belt She also pulled off the plastic bag. “Later that day at the C. 1.8. office I had a further discussion with Mrs Pluck. I said to her, ‘Have you got a conscience, Mrs Pluck?’ “She said, ‘yes, I have.’ “I said, ‘Do you want to live with your conscience for the rest of your life?’ “She said, ‘No, I don't.’ “I said, ‘Then would you tell me what really happened’,” the witness said. Accused’s Statement “Mrs Pluck said, ‘Yes, I killed him. I didn’t want him to live through hell for the rest of his life. I just wanted to relieve him. “‘lt was the way 1 could put the little boy out of his misery so that he wouldn’t have to go through what I go through. “‘What are you people go ing to think of me —a blinking murderer,’ she said. “The words came from het in a spontaneous outburst, and she began to cry,” said Detective Scott. The witness said he then formally cautioned the ac cused and she said she wanted to continue and tell the whole story while she felt like it “She said ‘I put the bag on first. I gradually did the rest He did struggle, but didn’l struggle very much. 1 don’l think he realised what wa> going on. “ ‘lt doesn’t make me any happier to go home to a house and know I have murdered someone in it’.” In a written statement produced by the witness, the accused said she had three othei children aged four, two and four months. She said Stephen was very hard to get on with. He was domineering and liked everything his own way. “I killed my little boy because I didn't want him treated like I am—because of my nerves and by husband domineering Stephen every night that he was home. 1 have been thinking for weeks of getting rid of him,” she said.

“I think that it was as 1 went into Stephen’s bedroom this morning I saw him lying there that I decided to do what I did.” Cause Of Death Patrick Robert Kelleher, a registered medical practitioner and pathologist, said the cause of death of Stephen Pluck was asphyxia; marks on the neck and face were consistent with the asphyxia being caused by a band having been applied with force around the neck. Mr Williamson: In your opinion, doctor, could these injuries have been self inflicted. The witness: No. Frank Leslie Dixey, a St John Ambulance Association driver, said he received a call at 8.56 a.m. on May 11 from a woman who said her child had committed suicide.