CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 265, 3 August 1921, Page 6

CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN DOCK JURY ACQUITS ACCUSED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, August >. In the Supreme Court to-day, Hilda Louisa BurgesSj aged sixteen years, was charged with the murder of an illegitimate child to which she had given birth in a room at an hotel. She pleaded not guilty. Prisoner was employed at the hotel as a domestic servant. No one was present when the birth occurred, but the body of the child, showing incised wounds, was found in a basket after she had left the hotel? Counsel for the defence submitted that the evidence adduced by the Crown was wholly insufficient. He asked His Honour toßlirect the jury to return a verdict of not guilty without going further. •His Honour replied that he could not take such a course. There was evidence that the child had been born alive, though Dr. Pearson had stated under cross-examination that there was a possibility that it might have died in the course of birth. The only other question was whether the child hod been killed bv accused. Upon this there was the evidence of the wounds. It might not be strong enough to warrant a verdict of guilty, but it could not be disregarded.

Counsel, in his address, submitted that the evidence was insufficient to establish that the child had been born alive; that if accused took the child’s life ehb was insane, and did not know the nature and quality of her act; and that the evidence was wholly insufficient to connect accused with the killing of the child, which might have been done by some other person.

The Crown Prosecutor did not address the Court.

After a retirement of thirty-five minutes the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged.