MURDER OF CHILD ALLEGED

Nelson Evening Mail, 15 May 1917, Page 5

MURDER OF CHILD ALLEGED

BAIL GRANTED TO THE ACCUSED. ; • _'''■■ '■'■"? An instance of bail being" granted: to a person chai'ged with a capital crime occurred in 'Melbourne recently, when application was mado to Mr Justice Oils- ■ sen that bail be allowed to a man who-" is under committal from the coroner's l court on a charge of murder of .an infant child. , At the inquest evidence . was given that the child was ■ handed to the accused, who was the father, by : the mother on March 22, and the body' was found on April 4. Counsel for ac- • cused said the evidence showed thaiaccused .had " handed the child to another person, and that he knew-noth-' ing of the child's-death. He now wish-' ed to be at liberty so that this person, and other persons with knowledge of' the circumstances, might Be found. Bail was therefore necessary to enable him' to prepare his defence. The application was opposed by the Grown on grounds that liberty might bo used to evade justice. • ~-> Mr Justice-Cussen said that the child being a baby the possibility of other persons being concerned was _ perhaps stronger than >it would be in other cases. There was the further fact'that it! would be ' more difficult for the accused to leave Australia at the present time than would ordinarily be the case. Heaving regard to these special facts, he would grant bail, but only on special conditions that the accused should report himself daily to the police until he surrendered himself for trial. • - It was ordered that bail be allowed in two sureties of £250 each, or one of £SOO, and accused's own recognisances o£ £250.