OTAKI CHLOROFORMING CASE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2657, 10 November 1923, Page 3

OTAKI CHLOROFORMING CASE

AYRE SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR’S IMPRISONMENT. Sensational happenings at Otaki recently, when a young man named Geo. Ayre broke into the kiosk at Otaki and chloroformed a young lady had their sequel at the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, when Ayre appeared for sentence. Prisoner was represented by Mr W. B. Brown. Evidence was given by Mr W. H. Field, M.P., of Otaki, who spoke of the excellent character that had been borne by the accused in the past. He had always been very highly thought of by the community at Otaki. His Honour: How can you account for his action ? Witness: I should say it was the result of his love affair. What do yau say was the motive of the act?—l could not say. Well, there is really only one motive that we can reasonably conclude is there not? —I suppose there is.

Mr Brown, in addressing His Honour, said that the accused met the young lady when he was 16 years of age. He paid her quite a lot of attention, and the trouble had been that the girl had expected too much of him. Without any warning, the girl broke off the engagement some little time before the offence was committed, and this, coupled with the fact that he failed in business, had a serious effect, on the young man. The whole thing appeared to be the outcome of a lover’s quarrel. The accused bore the girl no ill-will, and since his arrest lie had written to her expressing the hope that' some day he would be able to make it up with her. Counsel submitted that the case was one for probation. His Honour: There’s not the slightest hope of that. Prisoner had pleaded guilty to a very serious crime. If either of the young ladies in the kiosk had been in a delicate state of health the accused might easily have been arraigned on a charge of murder. It was impossible to accept the prisoner’s statement that he had climbed in the window simply to discuss his position with the girl or to say good-bye. Nor could he accept it as a coincidence that the electric light had been interfered with so that it could not be turned up. There had been considerable deliberation in what the accused had done. Prisoner was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for one year, to be followed by detention for two years for reformative purposes.