TRUNK MURDER TRIAL ENDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 96, 14 July 1927, Page 11

TRUNK MURDER TRIAL ENDED

ROBINSON FOUND GUILTY COURT IMPOSES DEATH SENTENCE

By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. R-eceived 9.30 a.m. LONDON, Wednesday. JOHN ROBINSON was found guilty of the murder of Mrs. Minnie Bonati, and was sentenced to death.—A. and N.Z.

The dismembered body of Mrs. Minnie Bonati was found in a trunk at Charing Cross station. A cablegram published yesterday said Robinson gave evidence that he met the deceased woman, Mrs. Bonati, for the first time and brought her to his office in a taxicab. He was sitting in his swivel chair writing letters, when Mrs. Bonati demanded money. “I refused and she got angry and abusive. I thought she picked up something from the fireplace and was going to strike me. Then I hit her. “She staggered back and fell, and I left the office. When I returned in the morning I found her still lying on the floor and I then decided to cut up the body.” Robinson did not falter during the narrative. He said that his nerve failed him and that he hastily put the limbs in paper before he had completed the dissection. He did not report the matter to the

police because he was afraid of ncriminating himself. In a previous statement Robinson had said he cut the body up. He went on: “On May 6 I went to my office as usual and then began to think of how I could best get rid of the parcels. My difficulty was the trunk and head, and I decided to buy a trunk and pack It in. I went to Brixton and bought a black trunk for 12s 6d. I brought It to Rochester Row, got a man whom I met to help me get it down the stairs to a taxi, and then took it to Charing Cross Station. I returned to my office, and afterwards I buried the knife under a tree at Clap ham Common.” Robinson also said that this statement had been read over to him, and was made quite voluntarily. Later he said that he had burned Mrs. Bonati’s hat at his lodging, and, finally, he added: “There is one thing. If I had not done this she would have been a nuisance to me for the rest of my life.”