DRAMATIC CLIMAX

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1935, Page 5

DRAMATIC CLIMAX

GUERNSEY MURDER TRIAL RESULT OF CURIOUS LAW FATE SWINGS IN BALANCE DEATH SENTENCE AT END By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, April 16. A curious law resulted in a most dramatic climax in the trial of Gertrude de la Mare, aged 27, a housekeeper accused of cutting the throat of a farmer Alfred Brouard, aged 76, by whom she was employed, and forging his will in her favour. Tire 11 jurats, or magistrates for life, filed in after- an hour’s absence, and thebailiff asked: “Are you of the opinion that she committed the crime?” The senior jurat answered: “I think she committed deliberate, cold-blood-ed murder.” The remainder replied: “Yes.” The bailiff: “Do you consider that she is insane?” The senior jurat replied “No,” and the second jurat “Yes.” De la Mare’s fate alternated until four had said “YOs” and four “No.” The ninth jurat replied “No” and the tenth “No,” thus sealing the woman’s fate by six to four. The eleventh replied “Yes.” The baliff donned a high-crowned blue bonnet, corresponding To the English “black cap,” and pronounced sentence. The trial was remarkable for the Guernsey law that enforces the purplerobed jury to debate their verdict in open court in a manner audible to all spectators. The plea for the defence was suicide. „ , The murder of Brouard was discovered on February 6 and inquiries by Scotland Yard detectives led to the arrest of Mrs. de la Mare more than a fortnight later. At the opening of the proceedings in the Police Court the woman protested her innocence. She is the mother of a three-year-old daughter.