MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 12, 15 January 1912, Page 3

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE.

CASE DISMISSED.

OHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 12

Two country Justices of the Peace dismissed a charge of manslaughter at Amberley yesterday under rather unusual circumstances. On 2i)ta December a sliglit fracas in the Leiti.i • field Hotel resulted in the ■ death of George Henry Shaw, the immediate caise being a. ruptured vein in the neck. James Itussell w»as arrested in connection with the affair, and the evidence called showed that he had pushed and shaken deceased with * certain amount of violence.

Dr. R. I/. HJannan stated tliat i death was due to a ruptured blood vessel. He had examined deceased, and noticed' that there wins a mark on the chin, .-Jiother at the angle of" the jaw, and a third not so distinct behind the ear. He thought deceased had been grasped by the neck violently, and a considerable squeeze and a twist or tweak had been. given. Considerable violence must liave been used to break a blood-vessel in the neck; it Was a very unusual accident. He had concluded that a. thumb Had been placed on the chin end and fingers on the jaw and neck. He made a. post-mortem exa mi nation the following morning. Death was dno to pressure of the mass of blood caus-. ing suffocation. There was no trace of any disease in the neck. The examination confirmed his opinion that ■considerable violence must have besn used, and that he had been seized by the throat.

After a retirement of twenty, minutes the Bench dismissed the case. The presiding Justice (Mr A. Greig). said that the .case presented difficulties, and: should not hare been lefi to two Justices to adjudicate upon They had to rely on the doctor's erfdenoe, and this was altogether inconclusive. It did not lead them to ono side .or the other, ,and they could not com© to any agreement. 'Under the circumstances, they had determined to give the accused the benefit of a doubt • that • existed, and ' discharge him. , .