SEVENTEEN YEARS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 53, 31 August 1925, Page 8

SEVENTEEN YEARS

SENTENCE ON FREDERICK MOUAT

THE ST. MARTIN'S MYSTERY

"THEY COULD HAVE FOUND YOU G UILTY OF MURDER."

(st lEUGr.Avn.—ritEss asbocmtios.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. In the Supreme Court, Mr.' Justice Heed sentenced Frederick Peter Mouat, who was found guilty on a charge of • manslaughter in connection with the disappearance of his wife at St. Martin's, Christchurch, in February last, to 17 years' hard labour. Mouat showed no signs of . emotion whatever while sentence was being passed, except to lower his eyes' at the words "seventeen years." The Judge said the jury were entitled to infer the. crime was unpremeditated and committed in the heat of passion. They were entitled to infer that after mutual recriminations over financial matters something was said to Mount by his wife which provoked him, and he battered the unfortunate woman to death. The jury have taken a merciful view of the situation. They could have found you guilty of murder.

The Judge said that having arrived at the conclusion that the crime was unpremeditated, tho cause of a sudden quarrel could be inferred from one statement to the police in which Mouat said: "My wife and 1 remained' at Mrs. Prosser's till 10.30 or 11 p.m. On arrival at our house I told her in the bedroom that tbe cheque she gave Mrs. Warlow for rent could not be passed as Sumpter, of Oamaru, who was collecting my accounts, had not paid in any money, or sent a cheque. She said 'Where is all the money? You have squandered too much, and now we are down. Why did you not tell me before?' So- I.said, 'I did not care to do so.' At this time we were both in bed. After that we said good-night and went to sleep."

The Judge held that the jury was entitled to infer that in that statement Mouat stopped at the critical point, and that the woman's death followed. >