TARRANT FOUND GUILTY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 393, 30 November 1932, Page 5

TARRANT FOUND GUILTY

(Press Assn,

BLENHEIM MURDER

VERDICT RETURNED ON CIRCUMSTANTiAL EVIDENCE PROTESTS INNOCENCE

— By Telegrapli — Copyrlght}

Blenheim, Tuesday. The Picton mnrder trial came to a dramatic conclusion, when the jury returned with the verdifct of guilty, and the prisoner, Edward' Tarrant was sentenced to deatL WKen the verdict was read to the prisoner; he said': "I never did it." The Judge, add'ressing the jury said, "No otie has a grehter appreciation than I have of your lahours. It wiii fce a' satisfaction, perhaps, to know that I fully concur in the verdict you have returned. Each and everyone of ; you will be exempt from further jury service for a period of seven years." His Honour, in the course of his summing, up said it was 56 years sinbe a capital case in the history of the court at Blenheim, the last murder trial being in 1876. ^ The Crown in this case had two things to prove. Firstly that James Flood was murdered and secondly that aceused was the murderer. Both these allegations depended upon what is known as eircumstantial evidence. Upon the first matter, as to whether James Flood was murdered, His Honour said that the eircumstantial evidence to show that he was murdered was overwhelming. The only important matter in this connection Was the question as to the time this crime was committed, as it might have had an important bearing upon other important features of the case. It was concluded that Flood was murdered about 9'o'clock on November 3, the reason being that the body was fully dressed, and the bed had not beeU slept in and that death had oceurred between 7.40 p.m. when Flood was last seen alive and his usual time, abont 10.30 p.m. It might he ihf erred that there was no direct evidence that on the night deceased had a wallet in his possession. This inferenee was reasonable because there was evidence that the old man carried a wallet. When a nnmber of circumstances were true, some may he stronger than others. They wove them into a cord but was that cord sufficiently strong to support the case? They had eight or nine pieces of evidence on which the Crown relied. Opportunity For Crime The first piece of the Crown's case hung on the opportunity aecused had to commit the crime. The Crown suggested that he had had snch an opportunity and while on this topic, the Crown also suggested that when accused was questioned about this opportunity, he made an incorrect statement. Accused was asked what he was doing abont the time of the murder, and on the evidence of Parslow and some Sunday school boys, accused was about one hour out in the story of his movements. The Crown, of course, suggested that accused had purposely mis-stated the position That was part of the Crown's case. The Crown did not say that was a strong stick in the faggot of truth, and it would be found that some sticks of the faggot were extremely weak. The next circumstance was that the pocket which held the wallet was open and the wallet gone. This established the motive for the crime, and was disputed hy the defence. The Crown's case, said His Honour, depended upon a number of facts and circumstances. Accused suddenly bebecame possessed of money and on November 2 he had none, bnt on November 4 he had quite a lot. Details in connection with the money were given and there was no disputing them.

Religious Scruples Accused volunteered to the police the information that he had borrowed £30 from deceased. The Crown suggested that he did this for the purpose of getting over difficulties in which he might find himself. He gave the reason for advancing the information that he was a Catholic and could not rest knowing that he had horrowed £30 from a dead man without telling any one about it. Apparently his religious scruples did not go so far when he found the large sum of money. Dealing with the injuries on Flood's head, His Honour said that the blows had been delivered by an expert with an axe. The Crown also suggested that accused was an expert with an axe. and demonstrated his skill to police offieers. It was claimed' by Mr. Parry that Tarrant was not likely to give the demonstration if he had a guilty conscience. The police gave evidence that the demonstration was an unconscious one. In regard to the cashing of the notes, it was pointed out that the notes were cashed in Blenheim, though there was a bank in Picton in which they could have been cashed. The jury could draw their own conclusions from the evidence. His Honour said that the defence was not an affirmative one, but relied upon the alleged weakness of the Crown's case, which, of course, it was entitled to do. "If you come to the conclusion with reasonable doubt in your hearts that the Crown has not made an affirmative and established accused guilty, it is your duty to your country and to accused to bring in the verdict of not guilty. If after due consideration you come to the conclusion that viewed as a whole, the Crown has bnilt up its case and established to your satisfaction that accused is guilty, it is your duty to our country and yourself to bring in the verdict of guilty," said His Honour. His Honour concluded his address at 11.30 and the jury retired at 11.35 a.m. and returned at 3.10 p.m. with the verdict of guilty. When asked by the Registlar if he had anything to say, the prisoner stared blankly ahead of him and made no response. "He has hot 1 teard," said His Honohr. The Registrar walked close to the prisoner and read the verdict agaih; the prisoner murniUred, "I did not do it." His Honour then donned the black cap dnd pronouriced sentence of death.