Prison for attempt at abortion

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 3

Prison for attempt at abortion

. 'I PA New Plymouth j A woman, aged 41, con-; victed of attempting to use| Jan enema with intent to pro--1 cure a miscarriage, was sentenced to four months jail by Mr Justice Jeffries in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. The woman was granted suppression of name. The trial jury was told; I last week that an under-1 I cover policewoman ap- j proached the defendant and; told her she was “in > trouble.” The defendant was arrested as the policewoman) was about to take a hot) bath, on the woman’s in-; structions, at a New Ply-; mouth motel. “You present a very diffi-; cult problem in regard toi sentence,” his Honour told;

the woman yesterday. “There are many creditable features in your life, but you have a fairly recent conviction, and I am satis- 1 ! fied that your motive was [ primarily financial reward and greed.” He said the prisoner’s acjtions were a real danger to ! the lives of young women, [and she had previously been. 1 apprehended through the ad- ; mission of a young woman: [to hospital. ; There were widely held (views on legal abortion, but [universal condemnation of abortions attempted illegally,; he said. For the sake of the pris- ; oner’s family, particularly [ her young daughter, he [would order permanent suppression of her name. I Counsel (Mr R. J. Somer(ville) said the prisoner was ( ; noted among her friends for ! kindness. I In 1973 she was convicted and paid the penalty for an [offence and had not been in- [ volved in a similar situation [until now. I He submitted that the sit- ; nation was not one of per- ; sistent offending, but rather I a case of being duped by a ; policewoman to bring about [her own downfall. [ The Crown Prosecutor (Mr I J. A. Laurenson) took exI ception to the word “duped.”: and said there was no ele-j ment of unfairness. His; (Honour said he was quite! I satisfied with the behaviour) lof the police; they were 1 [without reproach.