STRANGE TRIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22544, 11 April 1935, Page 9

STRANGE TRIAL

CHANNEL ISLANDS MURDER CHARGE AGAINST WOMAN (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, April 9. One of the strangest murder trials in British history was held at Guernsey, where the local law enforces the purple-robed Jury to debate the verdict in open court audible to all spectators. Gertrude de la Mare, aged 27, a housekeeper, accused of cutting the throat 4 of her farmer employer, Alfred Brouard, aged 70, and forging a will in her favour, to-day re-enacted how she found the corpse of the farmer who, she alleged, committed suicide. A blood-stained bed was placed below the dock. A policeman of similar build to Brouard lay in -the bed. The accused folded his hands and placed .the body in the correct position. This reconstruction was repeated during the cross-examination, de la Mare, looking up from the rearrangement of the “ corpse ” calmly to answer questions. The jury previously attended Brouard’s home, where the prosecution’s entire case was reconstructed for its benefit.

Even fate stepped in to enhance the unusualness of the trial. One out of the 11 jurats, during the height of the dramatic evidence when a barber’s dummy of a gashed head was being displayed in court, fainted and became unconscious in an ante-room from a heart attack. Nevertheless, with the consent of the counsel for the prosecution and the defence, the trial may continue before the remaining jurats, as only seven are needed for a quorum. De la Mare was shown the dummy head with a red gash marked by Sir Bernard Spilsbury (Home Office pathologist) in order to aid in cross-examination as to whether she believed such a gash could be self-inflicted.

After four hours of questioning de ia Mare showed signs of fainting, and was kindly told by the judge to take a walk in the fresh air.

Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands, which are the only portions of the “ Dukedom of Normandy ” now belonging to England. It has a separate legal existence and is administered by a Lieutenant-Governor and a bailiff appointed by the Crown. The Royal Court includes 12 jurats, who are life magistrates.