SEVEN YEARS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19787, 10 March 1927, Page 6

SEVEN YEARS

GAOL FOR SULLIVAN GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER. (Per Press Association.) GISBORNE. March 9. Found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of Jeremiah Williamson at Opotiki, John Sullivan was to-day sentenced to seven years’ hard labour by Mr Justice Ostler. Addressing the jury Mr Hodgson, for the defence, paid a tribute to the fairness of the prosecution. Unless the jury were satisfied a guilty intention had been proved they were not entitled to convict, and if they were convinced that accused was insane at the time he was clearly entitled to acquittal. The medical evidence, he submitted, all pointed in this direction and showed that accused was unconscious of his actions and incapable of telling right from wrong. There was an entire absence of motive, the murdered man being accused’s best and only friend. Accused’s behaviour throughout was

consistent with insanity. He made.no effort to conceal the crime or his connection therewith. Counsel asked the jury to find accused insane at the time of the commission of the offence. The Crown Prosecutor said that in the interests of the public pleas of insanity, which were increasing greatly, required watching carefully. Accused must be presumed to be sane unless the defence clearly established otherwise. It would be a'dangerous policy to conclude that the prisoner was not responsible because of mental instability in the family. The defence was that prisoner by drinking produced a condition 1 tantamount to insanity, but this was no I excuse. If the jury found that he knew what he was doing at the commencement of the assault they must find him guilty of manslaughter, and if cognisant of the whole proceedings, guilty of murder. Prisoner’s prior and subsequent actions all pointed to his realisation of his actions. If the jury reached this conclusion there was only one pos- | sible verdict.

After his Honour’s summing-up the jury retired for two hours, returning a verdict of guilty of manslaughter. The Judge then pronounced sentence.