DUAL PERSONALITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 48, 19 May 1927, Page 9

DUAL PERSONALITY

Intellectual Woman Who Became a Baring Burglar

JUDGE REBUKES COUNSEL

(.From Our Resident Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, To-day. ONE of the most remarkable cases in the history of New Zealand concluded to-day when Jane Ann Johnston was sentenced to two years imprisonment. The charges to which she pleaded guilty were breaking and entering Mr. Manton’s house, Northland, and stealing jewellery to the value of £950, two charges of breaking and entering Mr. Hyam’s house, Kelburn, and stealing articles to the value of £ll3, breaking and entering Te Aro House with intent to steal, and theft of a califont from a house being built at Kelburn.

“She is down, she is out; there is no question about that. The thing is to give her a helping hand if help is deserved by her now.” This concluded Mr. Douglas Jackson’s appeal on behalf of Jane Ann Johnston, who appeared for sentence, after having pleaded guilty to several charges of breaking and entering and theft. The end of this case was as sensational as the beginning, Mr. Justice Alpers commenting strongly upon the strange features presented, and taking the prisoner’s counsel severely to task for introducing lengthy irrelevancies. Dr. Arthur gave evidence on accused’s behalf. In some ways she was abnormal, but he always found her a quick-witted and clever woman. Strenuous endeavours made by Mr. Jackson to show that Johnston was suffering from some mental strain, which transferred her from a respectable woman of high social repute to that of a burglar and a common thief. Dr. Arthur said that she imagined she was suffering from a skin disease, though he never saw it, and she had taken nearly every drug in a chemist’s shop in treating this imaginary complaint. Mr. Macassey, Crown Prosecutor: You don’t suggest that these crimes are due to this nervous state? Dr. Arthur: Far from it. Mr. Macassey: Would you say she did not have a criminal bent? Dr. Arthur: I am not competent to judge this. She was In a critical stage of her life. His Honour: This is not a suggestion that people take to crime at this stage?

Dr. Arthur: Oh, no; sometimes melancholia. The suggestion that domestic trouble caused the prisoner’s downfall was severely refuted by the judge, who said that the husband provided well for his wife and he did not want the responsibility of crime to fall on the husband. Evidence of her character was called, Dr. Platts Mills stating that prisoner was a different woman in the past IS months. A daughter of the prisoner was called and the judge suggested that the evidence would not help. He wished the girl to avoid the ordeal. Mr. Jackson’s address on prisoner’s past life was punctuated by very direct comments by the judge, who said once: “I am not going to listen to such conventional phrases as ‘clouds gathering on the horizon.’ Please don’t treat me as a jury. All these irrelevancies will not disturb or minimise my sympathy with the prisoner.” At another stage the judge said: “Mr. Jackson, you are talking something that sounds perilously like nonsense. I have given you a strong hint already.” In sentencing prisoner to two years’ imprisonment, His Honour said that no suggestion was made that she was not aware that the nature and quality of her actions were wrong. “I am sorry for the contrast in your position to-day and that occupied a year or two ago,” he said, “but there is this to be said. When you come out your friends will help you to get back to your old life. Your cronies are numerous, showing intellectual ability, and on one side of your nature a subtle daring. This is one of the puzzling things of human nature —an enigmatic double personality.”