Donald Lewis Carrick

In May 1915, Carrick tried to abandon her infant son Donald Lewis Carrick by leaving him in a hollow tree on the banks of the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand. She was located and bail was set at two hundred pounds. She was unable to pay and served a two-year prison sentence. In the interim period, her son had been fostered out to the Burns family in Addington, a suburb of Christchurch. Upon her release, Carrick contacted the Burns and spent time with her three-year-old son, although she had stated that she was experiencing financial hardship and could not pay maintenance for her child. Donald went missing and his body was found amidst potatoes in the Burns family garden at 31 Clifton Street with his head battered in. Carrick could not account for her whereabouts and moreover, her skirt, stockings and handbag had dirt particles adhering to them. Consequently, Carrick was charged with 'wilful murder' of her child and there was a resultant trial in Christchurch between December 1917 and February 1918. However, Justice Chapman noted that the prosecution had provided circumstantial evidence alone for the case in question and advised the jury that if it had any doubt about Carrick's culpability for the death of her son, they should return a 'not guilty' verdict. As it happened, the jury indeed had doubts about the evidence offered and returned a not guilty verdict, and so Carrick was acquitted of 'wilful murder' of her child. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winifred_Carrick.