SUICIDE PACT

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19893, 23 May 1936, Page 9

SUICIDE PACT

.5 A CHARGE OF MURDER. i | ' i t _._. ‘ IREMARKABLE TfilllL IN MELBOURNE! l l [ __ l ! JL‘RY CHANGES n‘s vsnnic'r. i ~— United Press Assn—Elem Tel. (1093'?!th (Received May ‘l3. t p.m.) l .\iELßotn-NE. May '23One of the most remarkable murder trials in the history of Victorian J'UStice ended in an unprecedented man—ner vesterday. Lachlan .\icLaclilai: (23) was charged with the murder of George Vickers (2%), or, alternatively, with having conspired with‘ tickers that each or them commit suicide. The Crown Prosecutor said it was not suggested that .\icLachlan fired the shot which killed \‘ickers. \‘ickers had died as a result or his own act. lbut if two persons were parties to a ,suiclde pact and one shot himself and the other did not the survivor was guilty of murder. Mr Justice Lowe told the jury that if it came to the conclusion that there had been an agreement to commit suicide a verdict of guilty of murder must be returned. The jury, after three hours‘ retirement, announced a. verdict of guilty of conspiracy to suicide. Told that they were obliged to find a verdict on the count of murder the jury took counsel on the floor of the Court and then returned a verdict of “ not guilty of murder but guilty at conspiracy to commit suicide.“ They were then discharged, and were tiling from the \(lourt when counsel for the defence objected to the verdict, which he said was unsound. The Jury Recalled. Mr Justice Lowe recalled the, Juryl to ire—consider its verdict. A few minutes later the Jury announced a verdict of murder. with a strung recommendation to mercy. Counsel for accused formally ohjected. on thc ground that thc jury had already returned a verdict of not guilty of murder and had llt‘i‘ll dis—charged. . Mr Justice liowc said that in view of what had occurred tic pronoscd to ask the Court 01‘ Criminal .\mncal what verdict should he. recorded. ; | .\lrlAu-lilam was rcmandl‘d. ‘ I ' ————- t .-\u cxtranrdinarv story of a drain} pact twtwccn two policc trainccs \vns‘ llold to the coroner at an inquiry onl December ‘27. 1935. into the death by {shooting of George Thomas \‘icliers. laged 2i. Lachlan McLaclllan. who was with Vickers, and was discharged from the Victorian Police Force on De—cember ‘ll, declared that he and \‘ickers were dismissed following an incident with a girl‘s motor-car. A third man was with them when .\cha‘chlan and \‘ickers decided that in the event of their dismissal the latter pair should commit suicide. .‘ticLachlan‘s statement continued: " \Ve bought a revolver and tossed a coin to see who should have first, shot. \‘lckcrs said, ‘ it‘s hard to [do it. but there is nothing else for it.‘ W 0 shook hands and lay clown on the grass. \‘lckers shot himself in the temple. I heard him breathing, and decided to go for an ambulance." A letter found on \‘ickers indicated his intention to commit Suicide owing.r to ”IE liifigi‘ncr‘ or lnclng discharged from the police forcc_ = e:— .