Sinclair expects Thomson to argue that Roderick suffers from so-called moral insanity, which renders an individual in possession of their intellect but skews their sense of right and wrong. This continues over three days, culminating in the defense calling its only witness: J. Meanwhile, Sinclair attempts to elicit statements that paint Roderick as unwell, strange, or outright mad. The Crown calls several witnesses who knew Roderick to testify to his behavior and the circumstances around the murders, attempting to illustrate them as an act of revenge that Roderick carried out because of the humiliations his family suffered under Lachlan’s abuse of authority. On the first day, Roderick enters a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Burnet notes that the case became infamous before the trial commenced, resulting in a packed courtroom and a great deal of press attention.
The next section is a condensed account of Roderick’s trial. However, Lachlan is unhappy with the decision and becomes frustrated when the constable refuses to leverage further punishment against Roderick.
In an arbitration meeting following this incident, the town constable determines that Roderick’s family must pay 35 shillings-at the rate of one a week-to Lachlan Mackenzie to make up for the sheep’s loss. Roderick feels he has no choice to put the sheep out of its misery, and he kills it with a peat iron. Shortly after her death, he is charged with watching the community’s sheep but becomes distracted, and a sheep belonging to Lachlan Mackenzie gets injured. His mother died in childbirth a year and a half before his crimes, and he places her death as the first chain in the sequence of events leading the murders he committed. He briefly describes his family life and his close relationship with his older sister Jetta. Following these statements is the longest section of the book, which is Roderick’s memoirs regarding his life leading up to the crimes.
0 kommentar(er)
