ATTEMPTED MURDER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 September 1942, Page 6

ATTEMPTED MURDER

POLICE CONSTABLE SENTENCED. SEVEN YEARS’ HARD LABOUR. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 10. A police constable, Herbert Hunter Barrett, who pleaded guilty in Kaitaia, North Auckland, last week to havingattempted to murder a Dalmatian by shooting him In the back when walking Behind rhe man in a lonely bush spot at Lake Ohia, came before Mr Justice Fair in the Supreme Court today for sentence. Defending counsel, Mr Reynolds, drew attention to a statement made by Barrett at one stage of the case that no one know how he fought against the awful urge, which was too strong for him, till the moment arrived when he realised what he had done. There were seven bullets in the revolver. After two had been fired the Dalmatian turned round and Barrett awoke to a realisation of what he had done and had since suffered great agony. He was aged 41, with a wife and two daughters, and was about to be transferred on promotion to Waiuku. He had an excellent police record. Mr Cleal, for the Crown, said the evidence showed that the crime was premeditated, the motive being the destruction of the evidence of a loan of £250. The oil'once brought disgrace on the police uniform. Prisoner s salary and allowances for 1941 totalled £373, with a free house and cost-of-living allowance. The judge said it was painful to see a man with such a good record, up for sentence on so grave a charge, but for a planned and deliberate attempt to murder there could be no excuse. The offence was not a sudden surge of some evil influence but was carefully thought out. There was no provocation of any kind. It was a cold-blood-ed attempt to avoid repayment to his benefactor of money which was not repayable for two years, and on which the interest was moderate. The least sentence -which he felt it his. duty to impose was seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour.