ALLEGED MURDER.
SIMPKIN ON TRIAL. CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER, .BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION. ) AUCKLAND, Feb. 14. The trial of James ijimpkin for the alleged murder of his wife concluded before Mr Justice Herdman in the Sup:erne Court to-day. I>r. D. N. W. Murray said he bad had the prisoner under observation at the gaol, and had seen nothing suggesting petit mal nor anything strange in prisoner's demeanour in any way.
After addresses to the jury had been given by counsel, for the defence and for the Crown, the judge, in his summing up. placed this issue before the
jury: — “On the one hand you have the evidence of friends and of doctors, which points to the accused being eccentric,” said the judge. “If you c-ome to the conclusion that the accused was suffer, ing at the time from a disease of the mind and was incapable of knowing the nnp.litv and nature of his act, then you will aenuit him, but if you think the Crown has satisfied you that this mm was not suffering from a malady, that he knew right from wrong, then, gentlemen, no matter how painful it hi?, it is your duty to bring in a verdict of ITlliltV.”
The iurv. after a retirement . f an hour and 40 minutes, returned a verdict of manslaughter. Sentence was deferred till Monday, and the members of the jury were excused from service for two years.
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Bibliographic details
Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 February 1925, Page 5
Word Count
236ALLEGED MURDER. Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 February 1925, Page 5
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