Five-minute Trial; Mother Reprieved

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 332, 13 January 1937, Page 8

Five-minute Trial; Mother Reprieved

M.P.s TO PRESS TOR AMENDMENT OF LAW LONDON. Twenty-six year-old Hilda Queree, sentenced to death in # a Five-Minute Murder Trial at the Old Bailey for causing the death of her fivb-month-old son, lias been recommended for a reprieve by the Home Secretary. The Daily Sketch learned that immediate steps are being taken to make Hilda Queree the last mother accused of infanticide to go through the ordeal of hearing a judge, wearing the black cap, pronounce the dreaded words of the death sentence. ”

* In such cases reprieves are invariably granted, and srt the actual murder trial becomes to that extent a farce. As he passes sentence the judge knows that it will not be carried out.

The case of Hilda Queree, the lilt!’, woman to be convicted of child murder and reprieved since King Edward came to the throne, has so aroused Parliamentary opinion that a Bill is to bo tabled as soon as Parliament meets giv ing judges the power to deal with such cases without passing the death sen tence.

Mr. Justice Singleton, in passing sen tence of death on this woman, said: “J know the circumstances of the case will be considered elsewhere. ”

Mr J. Clynes, M.P., a former Home Secretary, said to the Daily Sketch: “it is high time this farce vyas finished.

“1 believe this case will be respou sible for bringing about this long desir ed change in our criminal law.” M.P.s have for long been perturbe-i at this anomaly in the law. From time to time private members have drafted Bills to secure some readjustment ol the law regarding this type of chile murder. But until now Parliament ha> been too busy to deal with it. At her trial Miss Queree pleade< guilty. And within an hour and a hall of the sentence the petition for repnev* had been lodged at the Home Office. Miss Queree, who had lived at Ching ford-road, Walthamstow, pleaded guilt) also to attempt suicide. She wa.rescued when she threw herself of Hammersmith Bridge after her child.

Her solicitors said that they had noi been told of the reprieve, but thoughthat she had probably been informed by the authorities at Holloway Prison

Mr Frederick Blackmore, a friend ol Miss Queree, expressed his great relief

“I went to the Old Bailey,” he said “to give evidence in her defence, hui when I arrived they told me it was 81 over.

“Immediately t heard the result ol the trial I wrote to the Home Office asking for permission to see her. “So far I have not received any reply. Perhaps now we shall soon be able tc meet- again.”