MURDER CHARGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 December 1940, Page 9

MURDER CHARGE

DEATH OF WATERSIDER SEQUEL IN COURT. WIFE COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The hearing of the charge against Jean Laurentine of having murdered her husband, Francis Norman Laurentine, in Wellington on November 2. 1940, was continued yesterday afternoon before Mr Stout. S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington. Three hours were occupied in hearing the evidence, there being little cross-ex-amination. Mrs Laurentine then reserved her defence and was committed for trial at the next session of the Supreme Court in Wellington. Detective P. C. Smeaton, who had been associated in the investigation, said that they saw Mrs Laurentine in the waiting-room of the casualty station at 8.15 p.m. on November 2. She was seated with her face down and her hands covering her face. She was hysterical and.smelt strongly of liquor. She said: “Is he dead?” Mr McLennan replied: “As far as I know he is alive.’ Mrs Laurentine then said: “I know I’ve killed him.” on the way to the police office she said: “We quarrelled and he hit me twice on the face. I fell and hit my head: feel the bump on my head.” She then guided one of his hands to the back of her head, where he felt a bump about an inch in diameter. She then continued: “I stabbed him with the knife I was using to cut the lamb's fry; the knife was on the bench. He said, ‘Jean, you quick-tempered ———, you have stabbed me.’ I said ‘I know, I meant to stab you.’ We had been to the races. I love him; is he dead?”- While saying this in the police car on the way to the station Mrs Laurentine sat just staring ahead, dazed and addressing no one in . particular.