Insanity verdict in wife murder trial

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 7

Insanity verdict in wife murder trial

It took a jury in the t Supreme Court oh Tuesday r only 20 minutes to find Frederick David Stokes, ’ aged 58. not guilty on a tharge of murdering his I wife, Mary Ellen Stokes, on January 3. ' Mr .Justice Casey made an i order that Stokes be detained in a mental • hospital as a special patient 1 under the Mental Health Act. When thanking members of the jury for their services I his Honour said that hei thoroughly agreed with their! verdict. Evidence was given during! the trial which began on Monday that Stokes battered 1 his wife to death with a claw hammer as she was dressing after showering at their beautifully-kept home In Halswell. There was no motive for the attack. The defence of insanity was raised. Throughout the trial] Stokes, who was dressed in 1 a brown jacket and tie, sat, passively with downcast! eyes between a prison I officer and a male! psychiatric nurse from, Sunnyside Hospital. Stokes j showed no emotion at any! Stage. Messrs G. K. Pankhurst) and I. A. McCaw appeared: for the Crown, and Messrs: N. R. W. Davidson and S. C.[ Barker for Stokes who: pleaded not guilty. Mr Pankhurst did not! make a final address for the' Crown which did not! challenge the evidence given by two psychiatrists called by the defence that Stokes was insane when he attacked his wife and was suffering from a severe psychotic depression. A large public gallery followed the trial and waited for the verdict which was delivered at 12.40 p.m. The Crown called six

witnesses and the defence n nine. It Mr and Mrs Stokes, who a were both aged 58, were in married for 36 years, butlv had no children o’r relatives 1 in New Zealand. Mr Stokes t was born in London andf‘ came to New Zealand 26: n years ago and served as a c : member of the Royal New c Zealand Air Force at v Wigram. He was described d as a gentle, patient man,, [who was extremely ! c affectionate and considerate c i to his wife, who at one time] c • worked for the Inland .Revenue Department. Mr •Stokes was employed as anU administration and claims r clerk by Air New Zealand, p One witness described Mrl c and Mrs Stokes as having p the ideal marriage and had p never known them to have a1 1 cross word in more than 22 ] 1 years. They went £ everywhere together and Mr J Stokes had a great, Cockney! ■sense of humour. They took!' la particular pride in eachp • other and their home and'’ (garden. p I The couple built a home! [on a back section inh Halswell Road about 171: • years ago and it had a ■ sloping lawn running down; ■to a stream at the back of! the property. • For 18 months before his) • wife’s death there was a: ■•slow change in Stokes’s per-i sonality with the gradual I I onset of depression. Then he land his wife made a dis- .• astrous trip to England ■ which triggered off a rapid : I progression of his psychotic i illness. His condition de-1 I teriorated rapidly and he i fled home without even sayi ing goodbye to his elderly > mother. : In his final address to the| jury Mr Davidson said that: rit was inconceivable that: 1 Stokes should murder hisi > wife, Mary, the person hei loved and needed. He was ; overcome by shock and grief'

when he later realised what! he had done. Because of his mental ill-

ness Stokes had believed that he was poverty stricken and that his house was in need of extensive repairs which he could not pay for. These delusions had no basis in fact. In desperation Stokes put the house on the market yet he had ample cash reserves. Then he became convinced that it would not sell because of its dilapidated condition. Finally the psychosis became so bad that his mind disintegrated and all control of thought and reason went. On that fateful morning of January 3 he awoke with a deep feeling of despondency and desperation as his psychosis peaked. He intended to fix the tray in the shower. Then this man, who had always rigidly suppressed any hostility or anger, came to a breaking point and his mind snapped. The volcano exploded and for no reason he bludgeoned to death with a hammer the ! woman he loved and chejrished. • All the evidence of both ■ Crown and defence witnesses pointed to the fact that Stokes was insane when he attacked his wife because l of psychotic depression, and [the only possible verdict |was one of not guilty on the •ground of insanity.