A violent ex, a ‘thrashing’ and manslaughter
When World War I broke out Lancashire-born Joseph Barnes, a chef by profession, was working in Australia. Slightly built and of a height that was to later be compared to that of a jockey, he was rejected by the Australian military, so enlisted in the British Army, serving with distinction, suffering wounds and gassing. He later transferred to the Royal Air Force.
Post-war, Barnes, his wife and their child immigrated to Australia then relocated to New Zealand.
By 1922, the marriage had collapsed. In February of 1923 Barnes made the acquaintance of 27-year-old Rose Whall. Rose was herself separated from her husband of five years, the 6-foot-tall, 12-stone Walter Whall, an Irish born wharf worker, 11 years her senior.
The love triangle resulted in an unstable pattern of behaviour.
Rose would leave Whall for periods, co-habitating and at times working with Barnes. In April 1924, she did so for what would be the last time, shifting into Barnes' Wellington lodgings. Two days later, Whall paid the lovers a visit and gave his rival a “thrashing”.
Ten days after, Whall arrived at Barnes’ place of work. A fight immediately ensued, one in which the larger man had the clear advantage. This was broken up.
Barnes had reached his breaking point. Returning to the kitchen, he selected a knife with which to defend himself, of similar functionality if not dimension to the bayonet he had wielded in the trenches.
Whall had retreated to an adjacent back alley. Barnes made pace to catch him and the two men were observed to come together.
Moments later Whall fell to the ground, bleeding profusely from the groin. As he lay in the street, he was heard to say “I'm fighting for my wife”. By romantic coincidence, his spouse arrived on the scene just in time to hear him declare,”rose, I'm dyin”.
At trial, Barnes’ war record, the history of abuse he had suffered at Whall’s hands and the possibility that the victim had run into the blade, were sufficient to avoid a murder conviction. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for manslaughter.