SODEMAN’S APPEAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 May 1936, Page 7

SODEMAN’S APPEAL

DISMISSED BV PRIVY COUNCIL

(BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON. May 28

The Privy Council Judicial Committee. Lords'Hailsham, McMillan, and Isaacs, dismissed the appeal from Victoria, against the death sentence on Arnold Sodeman, for the murder of a girl.

Sodeman, a labourer, was convicted at the Melbourne Criminal Court on February 19, of the murder of June Rushmer at Leongatha on December 1, 1935. and was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Gavan Duffy. At the trial it was alleged by the Crown that Sodeman had admitted three other murders, the victims being: — Mena Griffiths, 12, at Ormond, on November 9, 1930; Hazel Wilson, 16, at Ormond, on January 10, 1931, and Ethel Belshaw. 12, at Inverloch, on January 1, 1935. On February 22. Sodeman sought leave to appeal, on the grounds that the jury had been misdirected by the trial Judge, but on March G his appeal was dismissed. He later appealed to the Privy Council.

Sodc-man’s criminal record began at the age of 18 years, when he received an indeterminate sentence for forgery, and served 12 months in gaol. In April, 1920, under the name of Harry Phillips, Sodeman was charged with a companion with having attempted robbery under arms at the Surrey Hills railway station. He received a sentence of three years’ imprisonment for that offence.