'Utter remorse' at murder of sister

By PAUL YANDALL

HAMILTON - In five minutes of inexplicable madness, William Murray Dawson transformed a warm, loving relationship into a tragedy when he stabbed his sister through the heart.

The single knife wound left a startled 51-year-old Elizabeth Margaret Douglas fighting for her life on the floor of her Hillcrest home on the morning of December 27 - a fight she lost in hospital later that day.

Yesterday, 46-year-old Dawson was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.

In the High Court at Hamilton, Justice Penlington said the case was a tragedy for the families but a life sentence was the only one he could pass for the crime.

Dawson, a fitter and turner of Hamilton, had pleaded guilty last month to the murder after previously being remanded in custody for a psychiatric report on his fitness to plead.

He said at his sentencing, through lawyer Philip Connell, that he was "utterly remorseful" and could not explain why he had stabbed his sister.

"He [Dawson] is aware that he did it but he does not know why," Mr Connell said.

"He stabbed her because he wanted to 'go away.'

"His plea of guilty would hopefully be seen by his family as an expression of his remorse."

Crown prosecutor Ross Douch said Dawson had been staying at the Douglas household since the beginning of December. He had been depressed because of marital problems.

On the morning of the attack Mrs Douglas' husband, Rhys, left Dawson and his sister alone "for just five minutes" to buy the morning paper.

When he returned his wife was lying in the kitchen, stabbed in the heart, with cuts to her hands and chest.

A neighbour had come to her rescue after hearing screams but the stab wound proved fatal.

Mr Douglas said he was at a loss to explain the attack as there was no history of friction or animosity between the siblings.

He said it was a warm, cordial relationship and that was borne out in Mrs Douglas' efforts to help her brother through his marital problems.

"She was a kind, gentle, humble and caring person who put other people's interests before her own," Mr Douglas said.

He and his wife would have celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary last Sunday.

Yesterday's sentencing enabled him and his two adult sons, Kris and Jonathan, to move on with their lives.

"We just want to put this grossly horrible incident behind us," Mr Douglas said.

"We can now concentrate on refocusing our thoughts on her memory and the significant contribution she made to our lives and the lives of other people."