Pilot Who Murdered Woman

Chronicle (Levin), 27 September 1946, Page 5

Pilot Who Murdered Woman

Press Assn.

N0 SIGN OF REMORSE

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Friday, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 26. Neville George Clevely Heath, aged 29, former R.A.F. pilot, was to-day found guilty of the murder of Mrs. Margery Gardner and sentenced to death. The jury was absent fifty-nine minutes. Heath, when asked if he had anything to say, replied: "Nothing." The foreman of the jury, after the retirement, said: "We find him guilty of murder." The judge, after donning the black cap, said: "You have been fouiid guilty of a terrible crime. I pass sentence of death oh you by uanging." Heath showed no sign of emotion. He carelessly thrust his right hand into his trousers pocket and walked briskly from the dock to the cells, looking neither to right nor lef t. Counsel for the defence, Mr. J. D. Caswell, .after .the court had risen, said it was too early to state whether he would appeal. Mr. Caswell, in his address to the jury, said that no one who had listened to the facts would think that Heath was the sort of man who could be left at large. The question was whether he was criminally responsible for the awful icts, or whether anyone in his ^enses . could have done what Heath had done. Mr. Caswell suggested that Heath's flying experience might lave had something to do with his mtburst of sadism. Latent insanity -,hat might have been in him since ihildhood might suddenly have Tome to the surface, taking charge if him. He later showed no remorse >r fear. Earlier in the trial, which was held at the Old Bailey, Mr. Caswell ;aid he would call Dr. W. H. Hubert, vho was experienced in dealing .vith crime and mental abnormality, and was a specialist in psychoiogical medicine. Heath would not be called o'n to give evidence because the jury had an 0]>poi'tunlty of seeing him only in Fonrt, whereas Dr. Ilubert liad been to e.xaniiue him. Dr. Hubert gave evidence that he had talked vith Heath in prison and had interviewed his parents. He had con-i-luded that there was nothing to show ordinary insanity. From reading the accounts of the injuries inflicted on the murdered women, he was of the opinion lliut they were of an extremely savage uature, and could be inflicted only by a sadist and not by ordinarv violence. Heath at 110 time showed signs of remorse for his crimes, or appreeiatiou of what others thought of his behaviour. Heath believed they would not think harshly of what he had done. Heath was not an ordinary sexuul pervert, said Dr. Hubert, but was sulfering from moral insanity, aiul was unaware sometinies that what he wa doing was wrong. Heatli was certilied as morally insane. Mr. Anthony Hawke. eross-exaininiug Dr. Hubert: You say he gets his sexual satisfaetion' only by perverted means? Dr. Ilubei't: Yes.

Mr. Hawke: Are you telling the jury that when someone is killed as a resuit of that he is entitled to freedom from responsibility on the grounds of insanity because he, does not appreeiate what he is doing? Dr. Hubert: Yes, taking that with crimes in other Jields as well. Dr. Hubert continued that he had diseovered -evidence of other eruel nets in Heath 's life, but without such •on.se/iupnees as in the recSnt. cases. 11 e r.greed that nothing of Heath's history had been brought before the Court except dishonesty. Fntil fairly recentlv Iie thought Heath was in law a moral defeetive. He was unable 1o obtain evidence of abnormal aetions by Heath before the age of eight to 10 years, Ihougli probably they existed. Dr. Hugh Grierson, Home Offiee uiedical oflicer, who had Heath nnder observation in Brixton Prison, stated Hmt he did not consider ITeath insane. There was no history of youthful mental abnormality, and there was no evidence that Heath was suffering from any mental disease at Ihe time. of rhe murder. Heath knew what he was doing and knew it was wrong. Earlier in the dav's proeeocTings Detective-Tnspector R. W. Hpooner gave evidence that Heath in 1937 was placed on probation for two years at Nottinghnm for obtaining credit bjr I'raud. In 1939 he was sent for three vears' Borstal treatment for housebreaking and l'raud, but was released in 1939. ITeath enlisted as a private in rhe R.A.R.C. and was posted to the Middle East in 1940 as a secondlientenant. He was Court-martialled and cashiered in 1941 for using two pavbooks at the same time. While going home bv troopship he landed improperly at Durban and went to .Tohannesburg. He joined the Routh African Air Foree under the narae of Armstrong aud because of his good work was secoiuled to the R.A.F. in February, 1944. Heath was married in South Afriea in 1942, and divorced there in October, 1945, for desertion. The Court adjourned.