NAMED A MAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 172, 23 July 1942, Page 6

NAMED A MAN

WOMAN'S OUTBURST

INCIDENT IN COURT

An outburst, in which she named a man as concerned in the case, was made by Mrs. Ellen Goodwin, aged 47 years, who had been found guilty of having procured a miscarriage, when she came before Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court to-day and was sentenced to imprisonment.

On her behalf, Mr. Noble pleaded for probation. She had been married young, and later she and her husband had been parted for many years, when she had struggled to bring up two boys, one of wnom was now a prisoner of war in Germany, said counsel. Occasional indulgence in drink had got her into minor trouble, but there was nothing more serious against her till she had this time been tempted by money.

His Honor said that while giving every weight to the jury's recommendation to mercy, he could not grant probation in such cases unless there was some special reason, which was not present in this case. He thought it was in the prisoner's own interest as well as that of society that she should be sentenced to reformative detention for nine months.

"Your Honor, may I have a word to say?" called the prisoner as she was being led away in tears.

'I don't see why my name should be in the newspaper and the man (giving the name) left out, because he played a good part in it. I have a son suffering in a lonely camp as a prisoner in Germany, and now I am a prisoner here. Bui. God will punish him."

The man named by the prisoner had not been mentioned in the proceedings.