THE KINGSLAND CASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 6

THE KINGSLAND CASE.

} SENTENCES PASSED, ; PRINCIPAL GETfTsEVEN YEARS. (By TelccraDli.- I'rcss AisoclMlon.l 1 ,_. , Auckland, December 3. i Iho charges-including alternate - counts of being accessories after the fact • ol murder and conspiring to defeat the i ends ot justice-preferred against Edward ' ™ P , S ,[' -Mary Hassell, and I Charlotte. Campbell were concluded at the > Auckland Supremo Court yesterday after;l noon. J ': The jury retired at 11.20 a.m., and returned at 3.15 p.m. with a verdict of not guilty against O'Shaughnessy nnd vmlicl.s of "guilty" against tho two fe- , n.alo accused on tho third count charg- ; nig them with conspiring to prevent, per- . yert, obstruct, and defeat tho cuds of justice. i O'Shaughnessy was discharged, and tli« other two accused received hvelvo months' imprisonment each. Martha Jane O'Shaughnessv was next called on, and she took her place in tho. dock jwrceptibly anxious and careworn. Mr. Singer referred to the application for leave lo appeal, but his Honiur replied that he would not deal with the matter then. "I will deal with it nt tho proper time," he said. Mr. Singer drew attention to tho . recommendation lo mercy brought in by tho jury. He. said the recommendation' was made on account of the suspense and nnguish that prisoner must have, undergono during (he last, five months. During that period she had been in gaol awaiting' (rial on a charge of murder, and the anguish must have as severe a punishment as any woman could undergo, Sho was IS years of age, and in a deliealo bin to of health, and her condition was now sonous. He asked his Honour to exlend what leniency the law would allow. His Honour remarked (hat it was his very painful duty to impose a vcrv heavy sentence- upon prisoner, but ho could snv with, confidence- that, had it not been for tho recommendation of the jury, tho soutoneo would havo boon very much heavier. Iho caso was one in which thsro was no occasion to mince matters.' Tho evidenco tuat tiad been advanced as to the character At the house, and tho evidence derlvablo from tho letters found In die shop, satis, led him that the prisoner had been-for ho did not know how long- -a professional abortionist. "Now, in this case," he continued, "a human life has perished throng)! vour criminal act. The jury have taken a lenient view of , tho ciiTiim.slaiiocs. Thoy would havo liven justified i n finding i verdict against you on (ho chnrr" of murder, but I have no douM (hut t!-oj havo taken a safer curs in fiv; ; r: nt, guilty of manslaughter. The d.-alii 'us not resulted from nnirliTonpe in the i;r\;.?. ost form, but it is an nel of lr;tt.'.\i!i-h>r (Inn© when yon wtre <•: .inu.illiii!; n .•:;.<• for gain. 1 have, in (bis f'"iiVl. -'..■■.! ;i leniency to a member ,-,f n f-m-i'v v\o committed a crime »f this sort for charity's sake, but T ca ' '■■'i'y regal'-! y. u \s; a sordid rrniinvo c.i----.*>'■"- of pv'f.rr-.i'i.T a criminal act f'i- .v r \" His Honour addivi ;i'.;it '■<." wo.- wfilirp: to jriv'o what he een-ider.'.i Ihe ut -ox; weight to the rccemnio-m'.ali-n to u'eiw. A n-nbmoe of seven years' iiiipn-ono.-onf was imposed. The prisoner walked steadily to (ho stairway, and disappeared down the slops without showing much omotion. Mr. Singvr again mentioned (he matter of points rai.-nd for appeal, and his Ifnni>ur intimated that, if ho found that Ihwo was any doubt or point arguable, ho would adopt the usual course of stating a ca» for tho Apjieal Court, and .counsnl would receive notice in due course.