MAHON’S TRIAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 21 July 1924, Page 5

MAHON’S TRIAL

ACCUSED IN STATE OF COLLAPSE

(By Electric. Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Auell aliait and N.Z,. Cable Asaoei'-tUou.)

LONDON, July J 7. A feature of to-day’s evidence at the Mahon trial was a statement by Eithel Duncan, one of the principal witnesses for the prosecution, who was re-called and cross-examined, said she observed heavy bruises on Mahon’s shoulders and arms when she was living with him at Crumbles a couple of days after the murder was supposed to have been committed.

Dr. Spilsbury gave evidenco that bo was unable to assign the definite cause of death, but it could not have been the result of Miss Kaye falling and striking her head on a coal scuttle.

Mahon gave evidence, which was mainly a recapitulalion of his statements to the police. Ho said that deceased was passionately in love with him and wanted him to leave, his wife. She gave him a number of £IOO notes in payment of her share in a. joint- speculation in francs. He cashed these, under a. false name because he believed a transaction in in's own name would compromise him with his wife and force, their separation. While explaining the. quarrel at Crumbles which led to Miss Kayes death Mahon collapsed in the dock and it was gome, minutes before, lie revived. LONDON, July 18.

After live arid a half hours in the box, during three of which ho was subjected to the severest cross-examination, Patrick Mahon, who is accused of the murder of Miss Kaye at: Crumbles, completed bis evidence. He frequently ’broke down, and cried loudly. At the finish be- was in a slate of collapse. His evidence was practically a recapitulation of his statement to the police, but bo admitted that lie bought the knife and saw previous to deceased’s death, and not. subsequently, as lie has hitherto affirmed. After counsels’ addresses the .Judge announced that he will sum up to-morrow. SENTENCED TO DEATH

LONDON, July 19. Mahon was found guilty and was sen tenccd to death.

MAHON’S HISTORY

LONDON, -July 20.

Mr Justice Averv, in sentencing Mahon to death, said: “The jury arrived at the only proper conclusion on the evidence, not knowing that you had already served penal servitude for. a crime of violence. There is no question that vou deliberately designed the death of tliis woman.” The newspapers publish the life story of Mahon, showing that- he belonged to a bumble but respectable Liverpool family. Mahon for many years was a Sunday School teacher. He committed his first, crime in 1911. at the age of 22. when lie was bound over on a charge of forging his employer’s cheque. In the following year lie was sentenced, to twelve months for forging and uttering. Finally in 1916, he was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude for wounding a servant girl who surprised him in at attempted burglary at a hank. Mahon is of attractive personality and n good conversationalist and salesman. For years Mahon carried on many affairs with' women, with whom he stayed at most expensive hotels. He was a voracious reader of French novels. lhe life of Landru was found m the Crumbles bungalow where Emily Kaye died. There is a suggestion that Mahon was going to imitate Landru s methods.