ACCUSED DISCHARGED
CASE NOT ALLOWED TO FINISH. JUDGE USES DISCRETION. HAPPENING AT HASTINGS. ( r«r Presa Association ) HASTINGS, Aug. 23. The rather unusual procedure of discharging an accused person before the Crown’s case was concluded, was adopted in the Supreme Court at Napier yesterday afternoon, when Arthur John Walker, aged 19, a labourer of Hastings, appeared before Mr. Justice Reed on a charge of manslaughter aris ing out of the death of Cedric Woodfield, at Hastings on May 3 last, resulting from the discharge of a rifle when in company with several other youths in a whare. In discharging Walker His Honour said that it was clear the crime of nianslaughter had been committed technically, but it was obvious that a mistake had been made by Walker in thinking the rifle was unloaded. He, therefore, decided to use the discretion granted him by the Statute and discharged him. In doing so, however, His Honour warned Walker cf the seriousness of such an offence.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 198, 24 August 1935, Page 9
Word Count
162ACCUSED DISCHARGED Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 198, 24 August 1935, Page 9
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