ATTEMPTED MURDEE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 15 February 1917, Page 5

ATTEMPTED MURDEE.

TH ci HAD i CAtst. ACCUSED FOUND NOT OUILi .. AUCKLAND, Feb 14. At the Supreme wuuit to-day, mos. Howard unit incUui) ur.a unused with me attempted murder of Ins ~.m, Alice Mary SKeltoii, and oi cauo-jg bodily harm ac i aui, .soitii ot" Aunland, on January iTih. Evidence for tae crown was on me lines of that given in the Lower*court. For the defence, evidence was given that on a fishing ulp the accused laydown and slept in the sun. He complained cf not reeling well, and said he had suffered from insomnia. He also complained of pains in the head. He had one glass ot brewery beer with his lunch, and later he had two glasses of home-made beer. The evidence of four doctors was that in their opinion Skelton was in an abnormal mental condition when he attacked ais wife. The accused, in a written statement, attributed the attack, of which h<_- had no actual knowledge, to the fact of his siUCping in the sun. His violence was due solely to sunstroke. He objected vehemently to the suggestion that he was a mental defective of long standing. Dr. Fabst, recalled fcy His Honour, stated that the symptoms described by. the accused in his statement were identical with those of sunstroke, and the condition of frenzy in which the accused was said to have been when the attack was made would not occur again, except under similar circumstances. Dr. King confirmed his opinion. After a retirement cf Jifteen minutes the jury returned a verdict of “Not guilty,” on the ground that the accused was temporarily insane at the time of the attack, -his mental disorder being the result of sunstroke. His Honour said he proposed to order accused to remain in the custody of the gaol authorities, and not scud him to an asylum. He would remain in custody- uritil the Governor’s pleasure was- ascertained, Thb jury, after a retirement of an hour! and a quarter, returned with a verdict of “Not ■ guilty,” and the prisoner was discharged. His Honour' Called Mr. Kavapagh forwards and said: “My opinion is that your evidence was absolutely reliable, trustworthy and true.”