Court grants murder retrial

Press, 9 November 1988, Page 29

Court grants murder retrial

PA Wellington The Court of Appeal has granted a retrial to a woman convicted of murdering a man she lived with. The court said that a defence of self-defence, as well as one of provocation, should have been put to the jury. The accused, Condessa Mere Ranger, was a young woman living in Taihape with two children aged four and six. At the material time she also lived with the man who became the victim, Roger Michael Transom. One night she returned to the house, probably a good deal worse for drink, said the president of the court, Sir Robin Cooke. The victim asked her to come to bed with him, but she declined. A struggle followed, blows were struck and she stabbed Transom in the shoulder. The blow must have been powerful as the long knife went right through the shoulder into the

chest. Transom left the house with the knife still in his body and died later that night. The main defence relied on at the trial was provocation. There was psychiatric evidence to the effect that she was an especially vulnerable and sensitive person who might have been provoked to act as she did. She also said she was terrified of the victim and thought he was going to kill her and her son. Rifles were kept under a bed. Sir Robin said evidently there was no discussion between the Judge and counsel in chambers about the possibility of the alternative defence. If there was evidence capable of supporting a defence not put forward by an accused’s counsel, then the trial Judge had a responsibility to do so. The conviction was quashed and a retrial ordered.