MANLY MURDER CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 56

MANLY MURDER CASE.

COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE.

QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT, n WELLINGTON, September 26. fuller information as to the reasons for the sentence of death imposed on H I'. Manly for murder at Wanganui being reduced to a penalty of life imprisonment was sought by Mr R. A. Wright (Reform member for Wellington Suburbs) when the Estimates of the Justice Depart lt l en L were under discussion in the House ot Representatives to-day. Mr Wright said he knew the Minister of Justice had already made a statement upon the commutation of the sentence, but it appealed to him that some of the facts had been unconsciously omitted. Was the recommendation to commute the sentence that of the Chief Justice? Were the grounds sufficient to warrant commutation . Many people had pointed out that it was a particularly hard case as far as the young woman was Concerned. To him it seemed a particularly cruel murder.

A member: And premeditated. Mr Wright: Yes. The Minister of Justice (Mr J. G. Cobbe) said a lot of trouble had been gone to in considering Manly’s case. He had read all the evidence through, and the opinion of medic;.! experts had been obtained. The papers bad again been gone through to some extent by Cabinet and had also been perused by the Gover-nor-General. The Executive Council was unanimously of the opinion that this was a case where an execution should not be ordered.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr J. G U°ates): Was there a judge’s report? lhe Minister said the judge had given a history of the case. Mr Cobbe added a k he was P re Pared to submit the whole of the papers to any member interested, ana he felt that agreement would then be felt with the decision that, in face of the evidence, execution was not justifiable.