Sentence on Mrs O’Sullivan.

Patea Mail, 3 May 1882, Page 2

Sentence on Mrs O’Sullivan.

CONCEALMEiN T. oi? BIR TH.

At the Supreme Court in New Plymouth, Mary' Jane’ O’Sullivan, widow of Denis O’Sullivan, baker, Patea, was'trLdycstcrday on an indictment alleging two counts ;—first,: that she ‘wilfully destroyed the life of her infant child by tying a Tape round its neck.and, strangling it; second, that she concealed the child’s birth.

; -The trial ocoiipied the whole of yesterday. The prisoner was defended by Mr Goyett, solicitor,:, and he appears to . have advised her to plead not guilty to the first count, but to admit the concealment of of birth. This course required the whole evidence to he repeated, the same witnesses appearing as gave, evidence at the inquest’ in Patea.- It was expected, from what the prisoner had stated to those who visited her in gaol at New; Plymouth, that she would have-ipleaded-. guilty, and-thrown herself on the mercy of the Court. If left to herself she: would have made a complete confession.; , . .. Evidence was given to the effect that on Tuesday afternoon, March 28th,'George and Thomas Ewing and other hoys found a “ kit ” or parcel under a store-room near. Mrs O’Sullivan’s cottage ; -that it contained an infant wrapped rn old cloths, the feet sticking out ; that Mrs O’Sullivan was told of it, and she- tried to conceal it from the boys by saying it was a lump of dog’s moat ; that when the police went to arrest her she showed the parcel to Sergeant Donovan by taking him to a fresh spot where she had dropt it near a fence; and. that after being taken into custody she admitted the concealment of birth, but said the infant did not move, that she tied a string round its' neck, and intended to do away with tlie parcel that night if the police had not come. ; Dr Groft repeated his evidence as to the post mortem examination ; and his opinion that the child must have breathed after birth to get its lungs so inflated as lie found them to be.

Our correspondent telegraphs this morning the' result as follows Mr Govett made a most affecting speech, and appealed to the sympathy of the jury. The Judge summed up with feeling, and pointed out (hat- the woman had tried to save the child's life by tying the umbilical cord on (he child, but at tbe same time putting the tape round the. child’s heck, which" were' inconsistent acts'if she had premeditated murder. • The jury were absent two. and a half hours, and returned, with a verdict of guilty of concealment of. birth. - The Judge, in sentencing the prisoner, said there were circumstances in her case which somewhat mitigated the : offence. Still, being ,a widow with children,: she ought to have known better than to have endeavored to conceal her shame, as she had done. He did not feel it incumbent on.him to pass the utmost sentence,of ten years for the offence, but. thought the ends of justice would be sufficiently served by sentencing her to one year’s imprisonment’.