KIA ORA TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19472, 6 May 1925, Page 7

KIA ORA TRAGEDY.

TRIAL OF REGINALD HOAD. TO BE DETAINED IN ASYLUM. (Per United Press Association.) TIMARU, May 5. At the Supreme Court to-day Reginald Hoad, aged 39, a farm labourer, of Kia Ora, near Oamaru, was charged -with the murder of his daughter Hazel, aged 17, in the early morning of April 3 last. The evidence showed that the accused was obsessed with the idea that Hazel, of whom he was specially food, might gain the affections of some man, and lor more than a year he had made it impossible for her to speak to any man or boy. Ho finally became to jealous of her (though there was not the slightest ground for his suspicions) that on the night in question he killed her with a tomahawk when she was asleep in bed, at the same time shooting her with a rifle. e The evidence of two experts in mental diseases—Dr M'Killop. medical superintendent of the Simnyside Asylum, and I)i Ulrich,, of Timaru—showed the accused to bo suffering from epileptic automatism and suggested that at the time of tnc tragedy ho would he unable to realise the nature or quality of Ids act, or to know that it was wrong. The jury acquitted the accused on the ground of insanity. Mr Justice Adams said he fully agreed with the verdict, and he ordered the accused to he detained in the Sunnyside Mental Asylum till the pleasure of the Minister is known’.