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Star (Christchurch), Issue 16571, 2 November 1921, Page 7

The dismissal, of a jury at the Su- j premc Court yesterday after tt had re- i turned a verdict of G not. guilty ” in a ; case in which the accused was charged ! with theft from the person, was much j discussed in the city. The foreman ot j the jury, Mr Horace Thompson, called ; at the “ Star ’' Office to-day and j stated that when Mr Justice Adams j dismissed the jurors lor the remainder } of the session he did not understand ; at the time that they-were being re- ! proved for their verdict. He stated i that the jury gave the case serious j consideration, and came to the con- j elusion that it was justified in giving j tho accused the benefit of tlie doubt. Tho statements of the complainant as to the receipt of his wages on the afternoon of the affair were not corroborated, and no complaint about the alleged theft was made until nine o’clock next day. The jury had been directed that if it had any reasonable doubt as to the guilt of tlie accused it should return a verdict oi not guilty, \ and iii returning its verdict it pro- j per 1.7 discharged its functions.