The shock death of a mother

The killing of a mother by a daughter always seems particularly shocking.
The recent case in Wellington echoes a case in Christchurch 60 years ago.
Nola Lorimer was found guilty of killing Reta Jane Coxhead, her own mother.
On December 1, 1965, Dr D J Lough visited Reta at her home about 10.15am in her St Albans home and found her up, dressed and ready to go out shopping.
Two hours later she was found dead, dressed in the same clothes, lying in a pool of blood at the entrance to the bathroom.
A pane of glass in the back door was broken.
She was found by her daughter Nola. Police were quickly called and found she had been beaten about the head with a large wooden barometer that had been on the wall and was now lying beside her broken.
Another weapon had been used to cut her throat.
There were no signs of burglary in the house.
Reta had lived at the house for a few years. She had a son and daughter.
Police searched the home and surrounding area thoroughly but found nothing.
When Nola was charged with her murder six weeks later, it sent shockwaves through the community.
In a court case, Margaret Mundy who worked for Reta had been in and out of the home twice that morning, the last time about 11.15am.
Nola - a land agent - had been at her work until about 11.45am when she left for the day.
Malcolm Moore who lived opposite Reta saw Nola about 12.50pm in the driveway of her mother’s home saying she was worried about her.
He had been the one to break the glass in the backdoor to get in and they had found Reta.
During questioning by police Nola initially said she had pushed Reta during a dispute and she had fallen and hit her head.
Then she said she panicked, got the barometer and bashed her. But Reta was still breathing so she took a knife, cut her throat and washed it and put it back.
She claimed she adored her mother.
Insanity was raised at her trial, her lawyer outlining her parents unhappy marriage, her own two unhappy marriages and working in a high pressure male dominated industry.
It had been, her lawyer claimed too much for her, and she resorted to pills and alcohol.
Nola would sometimes get angry or be unresponsive and had seen a psychiatrist a couple of years before who had given her medication.
The jury heard that she became frenzied on the day of the murder and did not understand the quality of her actions.
Nola’s daughter Kay also spoke of seeing her mother drink and knew she had used some medication.
A doctor called for the defence believed Nola was suffering psychomotor epilepsy.
Other doctors said they did not believe she was responsible for her actions on the day of the murder.
The jury found her guilty after four and a half hours but added a rider to her verdict that her sentence be less than life.
However the judge had no choice, his only option was to sentence her to life. An appeal to overturn that failed.
A memorial to Reta is at the Canterbury Memorial Gardens and Crematorium.​