TEAR'S PROBATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1937, Page 25

TEAR'S PROBATION

POINTING OF A GUN

RAETIHI CASE

THE VERDICT OF THE JURY

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

VANGANiJI, This Day.

At the Supreme Court today the jury, after half an hour's retirement, found Kenneth St. Albans Hodgson, aged 28, guilty of pointing a gun at his wife in such a way as to alarm and intimidate her. The jury added a rider that the accused acted under extreme provocation.

The Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, describing the act of the accused'as a stupid one, admitted him to probation for twelve months, the accused to pay the cost of prosecution, £32.

The case arose out of incidents which occurred at Raetihi on the afternoon of August 25. The accused, according to the evidence, was suspicious and jealous of his wife's conduct He went into her room with a loaded gun. She advanced towards him, caught the gun !by the barrel, and then pressed the trigger herself, either pressing his finger, which was on it, or pressing it direct The gun was discharged, hitting a cushion. The accused then, surrendered the weapon to his wife, who threw it out of the window. The accused was charged with attempted murder and on Jwo other counts, one of pointing the weapon with intent to alarm and annoy, and the other of common assault. The jury rejected the major count and that of common assault.

Passing sentence, his Honour said that he hoped both the accused and his wife realised that they had acted stupidly and that the wife had been indiscreet. His Honour was of opinion that there was nothing wrong with what she had done other than that she acted stupidly and indiscreetly.