MAORI MOTHERS ON MURDER CHARGES

Chronicle (Levin), 12 May 1948, Page 5

MAORI MOTHERS ON MURDER CHARGES

Press Association

Victims, Small Girl And ' Newly Born Child

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WANGANUI, May 11. The death of a lour-year-old girl at Ohakune on December 3 last, restilted in the appearance iil the Supreme Court he're today of the child 's mother, Margaret Mary Teresa Loo, mafried woman, aged 26, who pleaded not guiltyto a charge' of niurder. The ti'ia) is being heard before Mr. Justice Coi'nish and a jury. Mr. N. R. Bain, Crown proseeutor at Wanganui, is condueting the case for the Crown and Mr. G. 'Skelton, of Auckland, is aj3peariug for aecnsed. Mr. Bain, in outlining to the, jury the' evidence the Crown proposed to eall, said that accused was charged with the murder of her illegitimate child Gale Ivingo. The evidence Would sliow that Gale was one oi two illegitimate children of accused and had been living with her mothfer Who: wa's married to a Chinese. O11 December 3 the child suffered an injury and 'evidence would be ealled to show that accused took the child to a doctoF's surgery where he found an ind^ii'tation at the base* of the skUll. Accus.ed 's'explanation to the doctor was tkat this injury had oeeurred when the - child feli when it was taking a rocking horse into the backyard. The child was in a grave condition, deeply unconscions, and was admitted to the Raetihi Hospital where an operation was performed, but it died later. The police, at that- stage, had no reason to suspect accused 's story was not true, said Mr. Bain, but an attendant at the doctor 's surgery would say that accused agked her. wliether the doctor would believe the story of how ihe child had come by its injury. Later accused had been interviewed by the police and had made the same state- . ment as she had made at the inquest but when she came to the part where she said the injury had been eaused by a fall when the child was taking "the rocking horse into the back yard, accused said this was all lies' and wanted then to tell the truth. Mr. Bain said that the Crown would say that accused had volunteered then a statement that she herself del-iber-ately t'aused the injury to the child oy thrusting its head back against the uars of a thair and that she had lost her temper because the child ivas erying. The body of the child had been exhumed, Mr. Bain added, and medical evidence would be called, that of the pathologist who made a detailed examination, The case was adjourned tilf tomorrow.