KILLED HIS DAUGHTER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 May 1925, Page 5

KILLED HIS DAUGHTER.

FATHER, DECLARED INSANE. THE KIA ORA TRAGEDY. tllY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION. TIMARIU, May 5. The trial of Reginald Hoad on a charge of the murder of his. daughter, Elsie HazeL Hoad, at Kia Ora, commenced at the Supreme Court this afternoon. Air. Campbell appealed for the .Crown and Mr. E. AV. Ongley, of Oamaru, appeared for the accused. Mr. ■ Campbell outlined the ease at length. as previously reported through the press. • - -A . The evidence showed that the accused was obsessed with the idea that Hazel, of who,np he was specially fond, might gain the affections of some main, and lor more than a, year he had rue do it impossible for her to .speak to any man or boy. He finally became so jealous of her (though there was nob the slightest ground for his suspicion) that on the night in' question he killed her with a tomahawk when she was asleep in bed, at the same, time shooting her with a, rifle. The witnesses included Myrtle Hoad, a, sister of the deceased, who deposed as to the movements of her father that fateful night, Maurice Hood, a brother, and George MacDonald, a, neighbour, who related how the accused came to, his house early in the morning.

The evidence, of two expert® in mental diseases, Br. McKillop, medical superintendent at the Sunnyside asylum, and Br. Ulrich, of Tirnaru, showed: the acciused toi be, suffering from epileptic automatism, and they said l that’at the time of the tragedy he would be unable to realise the nature or quality of the act or to know that, it was wrong. The jury acquitted the accused on the ground of insanity. Mr. Justice Adams said ‘he fully agreed with the verdict and ‘sentenced the accused to he detained ini the Sunnyside, mental asylum till the pleasure of the Minister be known.