GEORGE NOTT MURDER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 95, 5 April 1934, Page 7

GEORGE NOTT MURDER

Mrs. Richards Not Guilty HUSBAND ALSO ACQUITTED SYDNEY, April 4. The trial of Mrs Richards on a charge of murdering George Nott at Pilliga was held at the Narrabri Supreme Court to-day. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and Mrs Richards was discharged. Mrs Richards’ defence was that she had no intention of hitting or hurting Nott and that whatever happened was during a frenzy.

The Crown submitted that tho motive for the crime was Mrs Richards’ jealousy owing to the fact that Nott was contemplating marriage to a hospital nurse. Mrs Richards’ husband, charged with being an accessory after the murder, was also acquitted.

Nott’s charred remains were found on a farm near Pilliga following the earlier discovery in a river nearby of his car, in the hood of which, it is alleged, the police found a bullet-bole. A rifle was found standing against a shed near where Nott’s remains were found.

At an inquiry on March 8 the police read a long confession allegedly made by Mrs Richards, aged 45, in which she declared that the quarrelled with Nott on February 14 over money matters. She lost her temper when Nott swore at her, and she picked up a stone. He dared her to throw it, and she hurled it. The stone struck his 'temple and killed him. Afterwards she dragged the body from the car, built a fire and incinerated_ it, and then took the car to the river and sank it there. She spent a consider able time burning the body and removing all trace of the crime, and finally told her husband, who asked her why she had not informed the police. She replied that she was afraid or being charged with murder. Her husband helped her to sink Nott s car in the river. He played no other part.