ACCUSED NURSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1933, Page 3

ACCUSED NURSE

JURYMEN DISAGREE

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

AUCKLAND, March 7. At the trial of Nurse Kcri, Mt Singer her counsel, said Nurse Keil s anxiety to know of the child’s progress was not compatible with the allegation of an attempt to poison In the hospital veronal was not looked upon as poison, but it was on top 01. the poison cupboard, open in a box. Unless the Crown could eliminate the possibility of administration insidethe hospital, there should be no verdict against the accused. There may have been an internal mistake in the hospital of which the Court knew nothing, and never would. The defence had been faced with many ditficulties, and the jury was called upon to consider charges which had never been considered before by a New Zealand jury. . Judge Herdman, summing up. saitl that in New Zealand these charges were unprecedented, but it must, be obvious that veronal was poison, and if it were administered, as alleged, the jury was entitled to consider the charges. It had been said that motive should be proved, but the law was that motive was not. absolutely essential. If the jury concluded the act was committed, it was entitled, without, considering motive, to bring

a. verdict against the accused. Referring to the illnesses of the child, His Honor said she had boon out of the hospital only a short time after her first treatment when the doctors thought, it necessary to send her back again. The doctors weic mystified about her condition. When the child was admitted on April lb, she was treated for pyelitis. Some time on the afternoon of April 16. accused visited the hospital, and some time alter she let I. the child was again iil. These were remarkable facts. More veronal was found in subsequent tests. Nurse Kerr admitted in her statement she gave the child a tablet cf medinal. which was 90 per cent, veronal. Did the tablet, account ioi the serious condition of the child? She was so deeply in a. comatose condition that she could not be roused, and it appeared this was caused by the administration of drugs. The child continued in a state of coma, for 24 hours a.iter admission to the hospital. On I the 16th, the doctor was summoned, and found the child again in a condition of coma. Specimens had been taken b.v nurses and analysed. Veronal was found, to be present. His Honor read from Doctor Gilmour’s evidence, quoting passages relating to the- recovery of veronal from the organs of Kerr and Mrs Day. Doctor Gilmour had given, it as his opinion i hat. both Kerr and Mrs Day had had lethal doses of veronal.

The jury alter a retirement of four hours, disagreed. A new trial was ordered, to start on .March 27. Accused was granted bail at .£5OO.