CHARGE OF MURDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 50

CHARGE OF MURDER.

THE PAHIATUA TRAGEDY. -| TWENTY YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT. PALMERSTON N., August 5. In tho Supreme Court to-day the retrial took place of Deva Kaki, a Hindu, aged 36, on a charge of murdering William Barrett, barman at the Pahiatua Hotel, on June 4. The case for the Crown was the sama as was presented at the first trial on Wednesday. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter. Air Justice Recd imposed a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, with hard labour,; remarking that the jury had taken u very lenient view of the case. His Honor said he thought the facts pointed to murder. Ho was unable to agree that a man was justified in using a lethal instrument because he was called names as the prisoner had been. If it went forth that a man was justified in killing another person because things of that sort occurred it would be a shocking state of affairs. Furthermore, ho could not lose sight of the fact that Kala was an Indian, and that there were countrymen of his in New Zealand. His Honor said that he knew something of Indian affairs in Fiji, where a large number of murders, often of wives, occurred. It was necesary for him to take that into conideration and as a warning to other Indians in this country to impose an exemplary sentence.