FATHER’S BADNESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 February 1925, Page 3

FATHER’S BADNESS

DROMORE TRAGEDY TRIAL'

(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 10. The trial took place this afternoon, before Mr. Justice Adams, of Robert Tyson Hodgson, who was charged with having murdered his son, Frederick Hodgson, at Dromore,. on (the night of January 1. Mr? A. T. Donnelly appeared for the Crown and prisoner was represented by Mr. W. J. Hunter. The evidence for the Crown was the same as that given ,dn the Lower Court. Mr. Hunter said that the prisoner had an unfortunate family ’history. His father was admitted to Sunnyside in 1885, and died there in 1908. There were other cases of mental disability in the family, but little reference would be made to them for the sake of the relatives. Drs. McKjllon and Gray (alienists) giving evidence for the defence, said they had come to the conclusion, that’ at the time of the murder, the prisoner was suffering from an attack of (acute excitement, (which was pracjltically epileptic in character, and he /.was incapable* of understanding the nature and quality of the act of killing his son, and, knowing that such act was wrong. His Honour said the Crown Prosecutor frankly admitted that the evidence of medical experts for the defence would be accepted by the Crown. He suggested that, provided the jury found that the prisoner was insane at the time that the crime was committed, their verdict should be counched in the following terms: “We find the accused not guilty. We further find that the accused was insane at the time of the commission of the offence, and declare him acquitted on the grounds of insanity?’ “The effect of such a verdict,” said His Honour, “would be that the accused would be detained because of his insanity, and not because he murdered his son.” Without leaving the box, the jury returned a verdict in the terms, suggested by His Honour. His Honour stated that the accused would be ordered to be kept in Paparua Prison until, the pleasure of the Minister of Justice was known.