Stone, called to the witness-box by Mr. Maurice Healy, K.C., leading counsel for the defence, declared that in his statements he had not told the whole truth.
He had decided to do so, now prepared to tell hi oath, revenge the blow on the face?—1 just thought I had hit her back Stone added that he hit the girl in the face.
Mr. Healy: Had there been any talk that night about sexual relations?—No, sir.
Did you ever try to interfere with her in any way?—No, s Stone added that he gave the blow at the time that he pulled the scarf Healy: It was just one grab?
Healy: After you knelt down Ruby Keen, a 23-year-old factory worker, was found dead and partly naked, on The Firs, a footpath near her home, early on April 12. She had been strangled with a silk scarf Stone had been in her company on the previous evening, but in statements to the police declared that he had parted from her in Plantation-road, where she lived.
Stone showed no emotion on hearing the sentence, He was allowed to see his parents before being taken from the court.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.