VERDICT OF GUILTY IS RETURNED

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5328, 14 February 1947, Page 5

VERDICT OF GUILTY IS RETURNED

( Press Assn.

' PEACHEY CA'SE ENDS DONALDSON RECEIVES LIFE SENTENCE

— By Telegraph — Copyright.)

AUCKLAND, Last Ni^ht. Reginald Alexander Donaldson, 27-year-old farmhand, was found guilty of the murder of .Sydney John Peachey, aged 24, at Whangarei last July, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour, by Mr. Justice Callan. The jury retired at 5.40 p.m. and returned its verdict at 9.30. Addressing th6 prisonef, His Honor said: "You have been found guilty of murder and in aceordanee with the law the sentence of the court is that you be imprisoned and kept at hard labour for the term of your natural life." . 5 The only evidenee heard to-day had relation to the law on insanity defence. Then the address of counsel commenced. „ Dr. G. B. Palmer, technieal medical superintendent at the Auckland Mental Hospital, said that from his knowledge of the evidenee it appeared to

him from the time taken between getting the revolver and reaching the scene of the tragedy that accused knew he was shooting Peachey. He then took steps to cover himself as if he knew he was wrong. There was nothing to suggest that he did not ltnow his action was a wrong one. Re-examined later, witness said he examined accused and found no disease of mind in him. This concluded the Crown case and no evidenee was called by the defenee. In addressing for the defenee, Mr. Trimmer invitecl the jury to treat the accused's confession with the gre2ft.es t suspicion. At the time it was made he was in such a State of mental and physieal stress that any statement he made was worth nothing. "We say," said counsel, "he was a mental weakling and that after January, 1945, when he was turned down by the girl he became more and more mentally deranged. If by chance lie was the .man who shot Peachey we say he didn't know he was doing wrong." Accused's Confession On the question of the confession counsel pointed out that the police had gone by chance to the accused's horne Ihe day after the accused had read in the local paper the story of the tra-g-ady in which details were given of the shooting, the finding of the shell, and that it seemed that an automatic pistol hacl been used. These may have suggested a confession to one in the accused's state of mind. Counsel suggested that there was no outside corroboration of the eyents stated in the confession. As to the pistol in the pool, it might have been thrown there by the accused on seeing the reference in the paper to the pistol and faneying his acquaintance with Mrs. Peachey would cause the police to call on him. As to the arms experts evidenee, counsel submitted it was Tinsatisfactory beeause the method of keeping for identification th^ shell found at the house left room for substitution and confined only to visual examination.