TWENTY YEARS' GAOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18088, 12 May 1922, Page 6

TWENTY YEARS' GAOL.

SENTENCE ON A. W. PAGE. COMMENTS BY THE JUDGE. "CALLOUS AND BRUTAL.CRIME." Sentence of imprisonment for 20 years was passed by Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court yesterday on Arthur William Page, aged 30, who was found guilty 'in Wednesday of the manslaughter of Gladys McGregor Hutchinson at Pipiroa on February 7. Mr. Garland, who appeared for the prisoner, said that, ast the Judge bad remarked, almost all Page's previous offences could bo attributed to over-indul-genca in drink, and, there was no doubt ho had bad liquor on the day of the tragedy. As a result of his self-inflicted wound ha would probably never be able to raise his left arm above his shoulder Addressing the prisoner His Honor said: "In convicting you o£ manslaughter rather than of the capital charge of murder the jury adopted the most merciful view of the case which was reasonably open to them. They evidently thought that, having regard to the illicit relationship which existed between you and the unfortunate woman, whoso life you destroyed, it was probable, or at least possible, that some quarrel had taken place between you and her and that you, inflamed with drink and having a gun in your hands, in sudden passion and without premeditation fired the fatal shot. The facts as proved before them would have justified the jury in. finding you guilty of murder, but in view of all the circumstances it was probably natural ana not unreasonable that they should havs adopted the more merciful course which it was within their province to do. I cannot, however, regard the crime of which vou have been convicted as other than, that of a most callous and brutal character, divided only by a very thin partition from that of actual murder. " Holding this opinion and considering your past record," continued His Eanor, "I do not think I should be doing my duty if I passed upon you a less sentence than I now do, namely, that you be imprisoned with hard labour for &0 yeats.