Manslaughter term

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 2

Manslaughter term

PA Auckland A sickness beneficiary, Den Carrington, aged 30, was yesterday sentenced to 4Vz years jail for the manslaughter of the Oakley Hospital escaper, Rodney Kenneth Morrison.

Carrington appeared before Mr Justice Moller in the High Court at Auckland for sentence.

A jury last month found him not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Morrison, whose body was found in dense bush in a remote part of South Auckland in March. During the trial, evidence was given that a number of head wounds had been inflicted on Morrison with a small axe during a struggle with Carrington in his Hamlin Road, Mount Wellington, house.

For Carrington, Mr E. P. Leary submitted yesterday that the struggle had been a “brief, unpremeditated, violent encounter” which arose

from Carrington’s protect-

ing a pregnant woman from a sexual attack by Morrison. “Things turned into man-to-man combat and threats to kill emanated from Morrison,” he said.

His Honour told Carrington that the jury had rejected his plea of self-de-fence.

“A man died. Even though he may have been a very despicable and dangerous person, I have doubts as to how far I can take that into account.” He said he acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the case had some unusual aspects. “I do not look upon this as being one of those convictions of manslaughter which calls for a heavy sentence of imprisonmnt,” said his

Honour. He said he also took into account that Carrington had been held in custody for six months awaiting trial.