HORRIBLE HEHIR.

NZ Truth, Issue 100, 18 May 1907, Page 6

HORRIBLE HEHIR.

Sent to Gaol for the Rest of

His Life.

That bloodthirsty person, 'James' Augustus Hehir, stood his trial on Wednesday on a charge of attempting to murder a woman named Nellie Jackson, with whom the had been living, and the jury 'didn't '>ake long about find-tog! a verdict of guilty. The pair had spent the day at Lyttelton and the evening at 'Summer, and when they were parting Hehir knocked the woman down' and cut her throat from the back of the neck, making a frightful gash. He then cut his own throat. Both ultimately recovered. The defence of lawyer Johnstone was that Hehir was so drunk that he didn't know what he was do ling and didn't remember it. ' Judge Chapman said the jury would have been failing an their duty bad they returned amy other verdict. The case was clear, and the defence a hollow one, but he wished to say that counsel had done 'his duty fully arod amply. Prisoner 'had been found guilty, of deliberately attempting to take the life of this woman, and had it not been for the skill of the Hospital staff he would have -been there on a charge of wilful murder, and he could see no reason why the Government should have saved his life. His Honor said he toad been considering ,wh&t to do m the case, and he would be failing m his duty to society if he didn't inflict tile highest -penalty the law allowed for the offence. The prisoner would be sentenced to hard labour for the rest of his life. The poor wretch was visibly affected, and leaned on the -dock with head bowed down until he was tapped by a warder and helped away. He never dreamt of receiving anything so severe. A man with such -murderous instincts is 'just as well but of the way, however;