A MAJOR’S CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1921, Page 5

A MAJOR’S CRIME.

CLOSE OF LABARTE SENSATION. SEVEN YEARS’ PENAL SERVITUDE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received April 11, 10.20 p.m. Sydney, April 11. Major Labarte was sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude and remanded to come up for trial when called upon for the alleged murder of Constable Mitchell. —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn. Major Labarte wae charged with murdering his wife at Mossvale in. December last, and on the same occasion he was alleged to have killed Constable Mitchell. Labarte was found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife and remanded for sentence. During the trial of murdering his wife Labarte declared that he had no recollection of committing the tragedy, or its details. He knew after hearing the evidence that he must have killed his wife and Constable Mitchell, but he had no remembrance of doing so. In losing his wife he lost the person dearest to him in the world. He would not wilfully have done her or Mitchell any harm. The evidence generally was similar to that at the inquest. It showed that accused had been drinking heavily, and was drunk at the time of the tragedy. Labarte was a son of Canon Labarte, of Melbourne. He won the Military Cross at the war, and he was extremely popular amongst a wide circle of acquaintances. At the time of the tragedy it was reported that he had, at times, been rather strange in his manner since his return from the front. When the police arrived at his house he kept them at bay for a time, and shot Constable Mitchell, but was eventually arrested.