AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Otaki Mail, 1 October 1923, Page 4

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

DOCTOR CHARGED WITH THEFT.

WAR'S I'ATUJiXIC AFTKRMATH.

"This is a very pathetic case indeed," stated Mr W J. King, appearing for au Auckland' medical practitioner, George Kedpath, charged before the Hamilton Court on Friday, with steal- : iug a pair of shoes valued at 35/. and a walking stick valued at 20/, ; from Robert Blackie, in addition to 'an overcoat, valued at 25/ from some j person unknown. "The Doctor remembers being in Auckland —he remembers I being in the police cell in Hamilton, ■but of the events between he can recollect nothing," continued counsel, i except that he called upon a brother :- doctor last Sunday evening." Redpath, I when he came to Hamilton, (Mr Kin* declared, was suffering from a total ; lapse ot memory, and could not be ' held responsible for anything he did ' during his visit to Hamilton. Hubert JJlackie; press machinist, said accused had stayed for a few days under the name of "Air Kichards" at a , boarding-house in Knux Street, where witness also had a room. When wit- : uess arose early one morning to go to | work lie found accused was out in the bathroom washing' Some time later I witness found his shoes and stick were missing'. ! | To -Mr King: Witness left some j jewellery, including a fairly valuable 1 watch and chain, lying in a prominent | position, but they had not been inter- j feted with, : Harold Clark, second-hand dealer,, [ . said on September 4th, accused offered j i him an overcoat for which witness j i gave him 15/. He also sold his hat, ; i for which witness gave him 3/. On ! September litll he brought in a pair of shoes, and sold them for 12/. Accused j seemed to have a "dopey," dazed look, i as if t'aere were something missing. | He did not smell of liquor., J Constable Sutton detailed inquiries ' he iad made concerning accused. . When arrested he seemed to be suffer, ing from the after effects of a drinking bout Witness had ascertained that defendant owed money for board to several establishments in the town, in addition to a sum of 14/0 at the Commercial Hotel for drinks. Accused gave the constable a statement m which he said he had suffered from an attack of influenza a short time ago, later sustaining loss of memory. Isabella Kedpath, accused's wife, 1 gave evidence of her husband having •been several times wounded at the 1 front. He had been blown up and ' gassed, also suffering from malaria / fever. Ultimately ho had been sent j back as a shell-shock victim. On several occasions ho had suffered from L ' recurrence of malaria. Her husband i had only recently commenced prac- _ tice, and had been attending to his ' patients with every care and attention. Dr. Spencer, in evidence, said Bedpath had called on him last Sunday evening. Accused's memory of events in years gone by were perfectly clear, but his recollection of recent events was practically nil. In witness's opinion, Rcdpath was suffering from loss of memory. He was not under the influence of liquor. . Giving evidence, defendant said that if ho were to diagnose his own case, he would say ho was suffering from loss of identity He hadn't the faint', est idea of how ho reached Hamilton from Auckland, and could remember nothing of his movements here except his visit t'o Dr. Spencsr. In summing up, His Worship said V that the ovidence would tend to show I that the doctor, while suffering from '( loss of memory, brought on as an atter effect of his war injuries, had wandered to Hamilton in a trance. Ha could not be held responsible for taking the articles, and the information would therefore be dismissed.