ATTEMPT TO MURDER

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 3 May 1934, Page 6

ATTEMPT TO MURDER

MAN’S ATTACK ON WOMAN PREMEDITATED PLAN TO KILL. GAOL FOR TWELVE YEARS. (By Telegrapn—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 2. Twelve years’ imprisonment was the sentence imposed by Mr Justice Reed in the Supreme Court- thus afternoon upon John Conway Murphy, found gui'lty of attempting to murder Mrs Daisy Heiuvday on the night of April 2 on the hills of Berhampore..... . Addressing Murphy his Honour said: “You are fortunate that your victim •did not die, for if she had died there would have been no question of manslaughter and you would have had to suffer the extreme penalty for murder. There was heje no sudden, ■unpremeditated attack. Oil your own admission you secured the. necessary weapon and went out with this woman with the intention that should she not agree with your request you would kill hoT, and when you left her you thought you had killed her. The least sentence in such circumstances I can impose is twelve years’ imprisonment with hard labour.” The evidence adduced was that jvlurphy attacked Mrs Heimdal with a spanner and a knife, inflicting severe injuries to her nectb and breast., and afberward surrendered himself to the police, stating that he had murdered a woman. Two alternative charges of assault with attempt to do grievous bodily harm and of assault causing actual bodily harm were preferred also, but Murphy was found guilty on the major count, that of attempted murder.