INSANITY DEFENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 286, 31 October 1933, Page 10

INSANITY DEFENCE

CHARGE OF MURDER. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Oct. 30. A defence of insanity was set up at the trial to-day of John Shaw Gordon, aged.6B, a retired bricklayer, on the charge that, with intent to do grievous bodil; harm, he did actual bodily harm to his wife, Nellie. The Crown alleged that, in the early morning otf August 31, G >rdon attacked his ■ wifej with a hamm 3r and then attempted to commit si icide. The Crown Prosecutor said that in a case of this kind the wife might give eviden :e against her husband, but in New 2 saland she could not be compelled to do so. In this case the wife would not be a witness. Evid :nce was given on* the lines of that at the Lower Court hearing. Conn tel for the d'efence questioned medica witnesses to show that accused’s mentality might have been affected |y 'a discharging wound which was found when he was examined. Accused’s son, aged 20, said his father Ivas of a peculiar disposition and seemed over-sensitive to noise. Dr. Tj G. Short said he was satisfied thsjfc accused was ins&ne. He ip-d a sense ofl grievance aganist the 'family a.iwl delusions of persecution. His condition wls the result of chronic alcoholism, nroba.bly accentuated by chronic suppuration of a sore on the hip. Accused might Have known what he wa-s doing when he attacked his wife, but witness did not think he fully gliderstood the of it. Dr. H.IM. Buchanan, superintendent of tli*: mental hospital, said lie did not fiijd any symptoms of insanity in accused! There was nothing unusual about his mental condition for a man of 68. Thi4 peculiar behaviour consisted of foibkls. Dr. -G. M. Tothill corroborate® Dr. Buchanan’s! evidence. Counsel’s laddresses were th*n heard. After a reltirement of 35 minutes the jury returned with a verdict of guilty of assault sci as to cause actual bodily harm, and gliilty of attempted suicide. Sentence was postponed.