WESTPORT MURDER CASE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13909, 21 May 1909, Page 5

WESTPORT MURDER CASE.

VERDICT OF GUILTY

SENTENCE OF TEN YEARS

Per Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, May 20. Tlio Westport inurder trial was con eluded to-day.-,."- ' Mr Hanlon and Mr Stringer addressed the jury,: ..and His Honour summed up favourably to Crown's theory that Connelly was guilty of manslaughter. The following issues were submitted to the jury:—(l) Is accused guilty or not guilty; if yes (2) is he guilty of murder 'or (3) is he guilty; of manslaughter? (4) If you find him guilty of either, then do you find it proved that lie was assisted as alleged in his original written statement ? The jury retired at 5.32, and at 8.53 p.m. returned with the following replies :—To No. 1, " guilty " ; to No. 2, " not guilty of murder"; to No. 3, " guiltv of manslaughter," and to No. 4 "No." ■ " The jury added that they desired' to express a very strong recommendation to mercy.

Prisoner stated that he was 19 years of age, and had nothing to say why sentence should not be passed on him.

His Honour said, addressing Connelly, after a- very careful trial in respect to which ,he (Connelly) had received every assistance that lie could expect from counsel, lie had been found guilty of manslaughter. The jury had also foiind that, he had. failed to establish the defence he had set up that Halliuen and Andersen had been with liim. Considering the history of the case, His Honour .thought he, ought to express his entire concurrence with the jury -on all these points. It had been impossible to listen to the evidence without coming to the conclusion that the verdict of the Hokitika jury was justified, and it was clear that the true account of the transaction was that disclosed in the confession which prisoner had somewhat belatedly made. The jury had taken a favourable view of the prisoner's action. In recommending' him to mercy they must be assumed to have found that prisoner acted possibly under the influence of liquor, and certainly without any realisation of the consequences of his brutality. To that, and to the prisoner's age, . His Honour thought he ought to give effect; nevertheless the prisoner's offence had been a very serious one'indeed. Young as he was he had already a career of crime. He (His Honour) must inflict a substantial sentence, a sentence which to some extent would'go. s beyond the one he was already serving. His Honour sentenced prisoner •to • ten years' imprisonment., the sentence to be concurrent with the sentence imposed on him for perjury. His Honour thanked the jury for the obvious care and attention they had brought to this very important case. If. would probably be a satisfaction to them 't-Q feel tnat their verdict conformed to the previous verdict, and placed beyond all reasonable doubt the true nature of the transaction, and finally removed any stigma attaching to Hallinan and Anderson. Their verdict attached no stigma to the jury which dealt with the case at Nelson.-