# First murder trial in over a century starts today on Norfolk Island **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344 "2007-02-01T00:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/1 "2007-02-01T00:09:08Z")
[Link](http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21152225-5006784,00.html) New Zealander Glenn McNeill is accused of murdering Australian Janelle Patton in 2002. It should make for some fun selecting the jury on such a small island where so many of the residents would have known both the victim and the accused. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/2 "2007-02-05T04:50:12Z")
As expected, the vast bulk of those called for jury service applied to be released. Even so, [they managed to find 12 jurors.](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21172199-2,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/3 "2007-02-05T16:08:02Z")
**Cuncator** - Can’t they ask for a change of venue, because of the closeness of the community? StG ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/4 "2007-03-09T05:49:43Z")
An update: [Guilty verdict in Norfolk Island murder trial](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21352099-2,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/5 "2007-03-09T06:08:20Z")
That latest story sure is a piece of work. Starting with this: > [@](#): > > After a painstaking **four-year investigation** , police arrested McNeill last February at his home near Nelson, on New Zealand’s South Island, and questioned him for close to **two hours**. Guess after fours years they knew just what to ask! But if it hadn’t already been said this aspect of the trial would’ve made clear Kiwis don’t have a lot of experience with how to talk in these situations. Witness this: > [@](#): > > But in an unsworn statement made at his trial, the 29-year-old dismissed the confession as "complete rubbish’', **telling the jury he had mental health problems at the time**. Uh, sorry dude, but saying you had mental health problems does not make the jury more inclined to see your side. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/6 "2007-03-09T06:33:51Z")
Interesting stuff. I went to school with a handful of kids from Norfolk. A search reveals that a guy who was in my grade is now the Chief Technical Officer for the island. Even funnier is that his White Pages entry has his nickname in brackets after his real name (i guess when there’s only a couple of thousand people, you can do that). It’s the same nickname we called him in school. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/7 "2007-03-09T16:36:45Z")
Very interesting. And that courthouse is a lot more picturesque than mine. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-murder-trial-in-over-a-century-starts-today-on-norfolk-island/390344/8 "2007-03-10T09:59:48Z")
As expected, [Mr McNeill is going to appeal the verdict.](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21357283-2,00.html)