GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 10 February 1944, Page 3

GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER

FIVE YEARS’ GAOL FOR U.S. SHIP’S STEWARD Wellington, Feb. 9. A sentence of five years’ Imprisonment with hard labour was imposed in the Supreme Court by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, on Reginald Delone Surles, aged 26, American ship’s steward, charged with murdering a negro on board a ship in Wellington on 3rd December last, and found guilty by a jury of manslaughter. The Chief Justice said he was not sorry the jury had been able to return the verdict of manslaughter, as the sentence for murder might well be considered excessive. In the particular facts of the case the jury took a very merciful view. On the facts and law as explained to them they could not possibly, he thought, have reduced the offence from murder to manslaughter on the ground merely of provocation. Probably the jury took all the circumstances into consideration and thought the prisoner had been subjected to a considerable amount of provocation early in the day and that ’->risoner had taken a considerable qu ‘y of liquor and was in such a sta . consequent upon that, that he had been unable to form definite intent.

Sir Michael said in view of the serious nature of the stabbing he could not impose less than five years. It was competent for the authorities, if they thought fit, to make arrangements for the American authorities to have the prisoner returned to America much earlier, but that was no concern of the Court.—P.A.