TRIAL CONCLUDES

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23323, 5 October 1945, Page 5

TRIAL CONCLUDES

Charges Against N.Z. Soldier LONDON, October 3. Captain C P. Hutchison, of Auckland, addressed the New Zealand Court-martial in defence of Lance-corporal R. N. Courlander, who was charged with treachery. Captain Hutchison said that the issue of the case was the intention and motive of Courlander when he did acts included in the charge. There was evidence that Courlander took considerable risks to cross the lines near Brussels, and subsequently, according to his own evidence, fought and risked his life for the British. The prosecutor (Lieutenant-Colonel R. A. Hilliard) said that the facts admitted on all sides suggested that it Courlander actually intended working with the Germans in order to aid the Allied cause he w .-aid surely have attempted to see that his actions came to the knowledge of the British. The president (Colonel F. F. Rundi after the court closed to consider it.verdict, said the court had no findingto announce. Courlander. when asked if he hao anythin- to say. in mitigation of the sentence, replied: “If the court think: t am a traitor to n.v country, I hope i* will impose the heaviest possible sentence.”