FINAL PHASE

Evening Star, Issue 23501, 15 February 1940, Page 10

FINAL PHASE

AUCKLAND HOTEL DRAMA . LAURIE SENTENCED TO REFORMATIVE DETENTION PROBATION FOR MRS LAYCOCK [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 15. Tho final phase in the hotel drama of November last was witnessed in the Supreme Court to-day, when the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, passed sentence. Francis' Leonard Laurie, married, aged 40, having pleaded guilty to tlie attempted murder of Josephine Norton Laycoek and attempted suicide, was sentenced on the first charge to two years’ reformative detention, and on tho second was convicted without sentence. Mrs Laycock, having pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted suicide, was admitted to six months’ probation. Making a plea for Mrs Laycock, Mr Dyson said that, in view of His Honour’s favourable remarks at an earlier stage, he felt it unnecessary to address the court at length. Sir M. Myers: Has she gone back to her husband? Counsel: Yes. They are living together again. • , Passing sentence, the judge said tne female prisoner would seem to have returned to a more normal frame of mind, and apparently the husband was a decent, hard-working citizen. There seemed to be no reason why they should not live together happily. “Until this offence the prisoner Laurie was held in the highest esteem by his fellow men,” said Mr Henry, in a' plea for the male prisoner. “ His life has been blameless. He was nine years in the Navy, had a good discharge, and immediately afterwards was engaged at the naval dockyard. The position in which he found himself with Mrs Laycock apparently so preyed on his mind that he became abnormal, and after making an effort to break away, and not having the strength of mind to do it, he resorted in utter hopelessness to a suicide pact.”The plea of guilty in this matter, proceeded counsel, involved the element of attempted murder, but he would ask His Honour to consider the matter substantially on the basis of attempted suicide, and not substantially on the basis of attempted murder, it was a suicide pact and not murder. His Honour: Even suicide pacts must be discouraged. • . “ 1 realise that,” said Mr Henry. He knew the prisoner must suffer punishment, but asked that the punishment be not severe. His Honour, passing sentence, said the position of Laurie was quite different from that of the other prisoner, but he thought it was a case where reformative detention was preferable to one of hard labour. It would meet the case so far as society was concerned, and so far as the State was concerned, and was probably the best in the prisoner’s own interests. His case would be considered after a reasonable lapse of time by the Prisons Board.