CHARGE OF MURDER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1941, Page 9

CHARGE OF MURDER

DEATH OF WATERSIDER

WIFE ON TRIAL. EVIDENCE AT YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. >By Telegraph—i-ress Association. 1 WELLINGTON. This Day. The trial of Jean Laurentine. aged 31. charged with the murder of her husband. Francis Norman Laurentine. waterside worker, aged 36. in Wellington. on November 2 last, was begun in the Supreme Court Wellington, yesterday. Laurentine was taken from a house in Willis Street. Wellington, suffering from knife-wounds in the left groin and chest, and died in the Wellington Hospital at 8.30 p.m.. 40 minutes after admission. Mr. C. H. Wostin. K.C.. with him Mr. W. R. Birks, conducted the case for the Crown, and Dr. O. C. Mazengarb. with him Mr. N. T. Gillespie, appeared for accessed.

Accused, accompanied by a police matron, entered the dock sobbing bitf terly and broke down several limes j throughout the day, during which, for . the greater part of the time, she kept her head averted. ’ A DRIVER'S EVIDENCE. Hirn hobroy Avery, driver for a bakery firm, said that he occupied a ■ Hat in the same house as the Laurentines in Willis Street. On November 2 last the Laurentines returned home about 7 p.m. He met them coming up i 1 the stairs, and he paid Mr. Laurentines 1 the rent of the flat. Both appeared to ; be very much under the influence of liquor. He heard a "row” in the Laurentinc’s kitchenette, and not wishing to hear what was being said he turned up the wireless set in his front room. After some seven or eight minutes he 1 heard Mrs. Laurentine call out. "Quick, Mr. Avery! I have stabbed Laurie. Get a doctor.’' Witness went into the Laurentines kitchenette and saw Laurentine reclining against a box. There was a small quantity of blood about. Witness then went for a detor. but

noticed a Free Ambulance car approaching and he found that the ambulance was going to the house. Witness returned to the house. Mrs. Laurentine was still under the influence of liquor and was in an hysterical state. She made frantic efforts to get a doctor. The ambulance driver asked Mrs. Laurentine how it had happened, and she replied that Laurentine had struck her and she had stabbed him. She said. "You know. Mr. Avery, 1 would not do it deliberately. “I STABBED HIM.” Charles Lorenzo Hogg, driver for the Wellington Free Ambulance, said that he was on duty on November 2. He received a call at 7.30 p.m. that night from the Wellington Hospital to

go to 263 Willis Street, and did so. On arriving at the house, witness found a man lying in a room on the second floor. Mrs. Laurentine was holding the man's legs up. The man was unconscious, and there was a pool of blood in the centre of the room. Mrs. Laurentine was in a very hysterical state. The first words she said wore: "Why don't you do something? Get a doctor. Why don’t you do as I say', 1 ' He asked her what the trouble was. and she replied, "I stabbed him." When he proceeded to examine the injured man. he could not do so through the interference of Mrs. Laurentine. STATEMENT TO POLICE, Detective P. C. Smcaton said that about 8.15 p.m. on November 2. Detective Sergeant McLennan and he arrived at the Wellington Hospital, and saw accused sitting in a waiting-room. There was blood al! over her hands and on parts of her dress. He asked if her husband was still alive. She was hysterical, and smelt strongly of liquor. Accused accompanied him and Detective Sergeant McLennan to the Central Police Station in the police car. When in the police car. accused said: "We quarrelled. I fell and hit my head: feel the bump on the back of my head. 1 slabbed him with the knife that 1 was cutting lamb's fry

with. 'Laurie said. Joan, you quicktempered b~ —•, you have stabbed me.' I replied, ‘I know; I meant to stab you.' Is he stdl alive'.’ I love him CASE FOR DEFENCE. In opening the case fur the defence. Dr Mazeiigarb said that not all killing was murder At the other emi of the chain there was ju,slidable homicide, 10 in i'he eases of a soldier who Rilled an enemy, a sheritf, or someone who protected his life from attack There was also such a thing as excusable homicide. as in the case of death by accident Self-protection was the first law i f nature This woman was trying to protect herself from an unprovoked assault Her husband wax very drunk; b.e truck her; she was down twice, and in falling, her hand came m contact witb. a knife am! she used it to ward el' further blows 'Yu have t*> judge ;■> • m<-thmg ‘hat liar: -•iivd m a few .seconds e'lntmucd Dr Mazetigarb addressing the jury, "but y■».! have to judge also by what hap; <-m‘d m the next Imur and what had happened throughout their married life" Evidence ;r to the good character of accu.M 1 was given by Myrtle Dooley, N- .a Reid. Brim Ytanaki.*. Hugh MrGiilivra’. ami Frederick Miller. The hearing of the case will be eon-timn-ii at !U o'clock this morning.

S'c'isi.;: coloured. ■>'. '<> 8r ;i l-case I'iiito- '■ (id to 1 !>>. n ’•(■•t-e; .'tprt- •<>;»., 9 <<■■ His. a :-c:r><?. peat hes. :'e> <>ti : , ]?■. ;i '. .(-.w- i’s 9d to 3:i 9(.i a tray: ::<*<’larol os o< ’e 9 ■ a i'ra.e, prei’ti' eaKe*. 9:-, » > !-; : a '. -ease He.iiis i •.: <i f>d a e.r-e, cucumber- -u' lie 3 ' 1 ■• 1 (>ii a <a■ iI, a H> '.e id (iti. a -..i(-; . sirv.- |. -'aOtHi >,s son (is ;j i ugrtr isif;. ('tele. I :.'C : ‘ ': • .1 t :i" < . let’UCc Iki b ■ :j tk! a ca- <■■ < auidk ■.'. ■" ■< :.s Il»... .'H'I. . •e;'. er fleet ! fkt '. . •?■■ a case. : < inavh. t; - ‘ - Iht <‘>ii a <a >• ;<• .' t'ii t ;■ a case j .i: >35 n : > 9 i .1 cast- bretre ' 3s (id !<< i. ' .i i .■. i car r u L i* - - (irl t . ■ ■ ■ !-.■;: ’. ■;■ ■■ 9 . a o. '.-<■!; h'.uicb.e