ATTEMPT TO CHLOROFORM GIRL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 21 December 1938, Page 7

ATTEMPT TO CHLOROFORM GIRL

YOUNG MAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE GISBORNE, This Day. “I was in love with the girl and 1 did not want to kill her,” was a passage in the statement alleged to be made to the police by Frank Victor Michie (21) who appeared before Mr Walton, S.M., in the Magistrates Court this morning on a charge of attempting to administer chloroform to a 17-year-old girl with intent to injure her.

The girl gave evidence that she had known accused for two years and had been keeping company with him, being frequent visitors to each other's homes. A week ago she went to a dance with him but they had a row and she went home with another boy. On Friday night she went to bed at 9.30 and was awakened at 1.30 by someone standing at the head of another girl who shared the bed with her. She screamed and put on the light, the intruder running away. Later she found a handkerchief on which there was chloroform.

The second girl gave evidence that she was awakened by a smell of chloroform and felt something on her face.

A chemist’s assistant gave evidence of having sold a bottle of chloroform to the accused who said he wanted to operate

Detective C. P. Belton produced a statement in which the accused admitted the facts, but said he had only put a couple of drops of chloroform on the handkerchief and did not intend to harm her, but only to put her to sleep. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.