TREATMENT OF SON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17111, 17 March 1919, Page 7

TREATMENT OF SON.

PARENTS' PLEA OF GUILTY. LEGAL POINT RAISED. LEAVE TO REPLEAD SOUGHT.

The case of William Reyland and Elizabeth E. Reyland (Mr. Anderson), who were previously brought before the Court for sentence., having pleaded guilty before the magistrate to a charge of withholding ' y : the necessaries of life from their son, t | Frank, an imbecile, again came before Mr. ' f Justice Hosking at the Supreme Court oa •v I Saturday. When the two accused appeared i I before His Honor on a previous occasion, 1 1 i he asked if the accused had been repre- j o j sented by counsel in the lower Court. I c ' Mr. Anderson said they had not, and 1 stated that the accused had asked a con- i 1 stable about the matter, and the. reply had J ] been that they could please themselves, I-. but that if they pleaded guilty they would [ ] probably be back on their farm in a fow j days. ' His Honor said that from what ho could ! judge from reading tho depositions, he was ' i not satisfied that the plea of guilty was j • justified. Tho charge was that accused ; < had deprived their son of the necessaries 11 of life, but from the evidence they had i only kept him closely confined. Under the ' ] circumstances he thought counsel might | move to have the plea of guilty reversed, i' The case was adjourned, so that counsel < could place the facts on record by means ' of affidavits. When it was called on Satur- ] day morning there was somo legal argument as to whether the law would permit i the plea to be altered or withdrawn. 1 j Mr. Anderson then formally moved to I have tho committal for sentence quashed, 'so that tho two accused could enter a j ; ' different plea. He outlined the facts of | i j the case. He said the son of the two : j accused was 29 years of age. He had been | :' an imbecile from birth, and at one time ' his father suggested that he should be sent , I to a mental hospital or a homo, but was |'o\er-ruled by the mother, who wanted to .; keep him on the farm. Up to two months i before the present trouble arose, and tho )! son was taken away by Constable Boag, I the son was living in the house with his > I parents and the other children. He was . jot exceedingly dirty habits, and when the . warm weather came it wae desired to put I j him in a shed to sleep. Little clothing j j could be kept on him', because he made . I a practice of tearing his clothes off and I I running about practically naked. He was . J always given plenty of food, but ho fed k j himself like an animal. He had no con- ! trol over his appetite. The medical superi ' intendent of the Avondale Mental Hos--31 pital had stated that <jie showed no signs !of treatment, and was well nourished. . ! The two accused had eight children, and two sons were at the front. Mr. Anderson said that had full investigation been 5 made at the time the present proceedings ', would never have been commenced. It ! was admitted that when the constable J visited the Reylands' place the shed in | which the son had been sleeping was very { I dirty, but this was on account of his filthy 6 1 habits. 3 I Mr. Anderson called two witnesses, who '"! stated that they frequently visited the " i Reylands' home. The son in question was 1 j always treated just the same as the other a I children, and was given plenty of food. ' r Hi 6 Honor adjourned the cane until Wednesday, in order to give the constable ** concerned an opportunity of being present. He intimated that before he would give a decision on the legal points raised he would consult his brother Judges when the Court of Appeal sat.