SYDNEY CRIME

Hokitika Guardian, 21 June 1932, Page 3

SYDNEY CRIME

GLEN- INNES AIURDEK.

SYDNEY, Jniie 11

What lias been known as the Glen In new tragedy lias closed with, the sentence of death pronounced on the murderer. Young O’Hara'stated"in Court that Cbnffey, his employer, a small farmer with a milk run, owed him a few shillings as commission for getting him customers, and refused to pay. O’Hara was short of money—as lie put it, “I did not want to appear small in the eyes of my girl”—and he, therefore, went' to Chaffrey’s house early in the morning, taking a pea-rifle “to frighten him.” He alleges- that, when Chaffey again refused to pay,'and picked up a stone to throw at him, her an away, and as he got through the fehce, the gun hit a post and went off: Bii*t the jury did not believe hint and reI turned a verdict of murder, ' tickling, however, a recommendation to mercy on account of O’Hara’s youth. As' he is only nineteen years old, this recommendation is likely to carry weight. There is»- no age-limit to prevent the excution of a murdex’er; blit, as‘a matter of fact, 'nobody under'the’-age of twenty-one- has been hanged in this State for about half a century,' 1 ! and O’Hara is not likely to be the' exception. But the evidence seems to show that it, was a peculiarly callous -And cold-blooded crime and it fui-nishe', further proof that life is held cheap, 1 by certain types of people in Nee I South. Wales.

AUTOMATISM

It was-good to, see that no. attempt was made in this case to di’ffg- in-,,that specious and dangerous plea of. Tauter matism” which, since the reprieve- .of the murderer'Rail, has already -done duty for better excuses on several occas-ions-in the Courts. However, our judges and magistrates are not liksely to allow this defence to be exploited unduly. On Ala.y 28 a man, being drunk, broke several large windows with a bottle, and Inter called a doctor into Court to say that “under the influence of drink the- prisoner might not know what, he was doing.” But ,the Magistrate waved this- plea aside and ordered the prisoner to pay not only a fine, hut ..over £4O in compensation and public as well as legal opinion will back him.,up. *-