The Nancy Kissel Case - Part 41

• (Bloomberg)  Kissel Denies Using Daughter to Drug Banker Husband.  By Clare Cheung.  August 10, 2005.
• (Associated Press via News24.com)  'I put on a brave face'  August 10, 2005.
• (Times)  Wife denies murder by milkshake.  By Jane MacCartney.  August 10, 2005.
• (The Standard)  Kissel told 'plain, simple lies'.  By Albert Wong.  August 10, 2005.
• (SCMP; no link)  Rowing Kissels missed date with George Bush Snr.  By Polly Hui.  August 10, 2005.

From the Chinese-language media:

• (Ming Pao)  Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Peter Chapson questioned that the defendant claimed to have violently abused for the past five years and sustained frequent injuries, so how is it that he was the one who needed a baseball bat in his hand to "defend" against her when he wanted to bring up the sujbect of divorce?  And why did the defendant did not simply choose something more handy and close such as a kitchen knife but instead used a metal ornament in the 'standoff' against her husband?  Chapman suggested that the fact was that the defendant used the ornament to hit her heavily drugged husband five times in the head.
   
  When the defendant heard that, she insisted that she had a fight with her husband on that day and that he yelled: "I'm going to kill you!"  Therefore, she fought for her life.  Just prior to adjournment, she lost control in front of the jury and repeatedly exclaimed, "He was going to kill me!  God!  God!"
   
  41-year-old defendant Nancy Ann Kissel pointed out that on the nirght of the fight, the children and the Filipina domestic helpers were all sleeping in their own rooms.  Chapman questioned why the defendant did not yell out or call for help.  The defendant did not answer directly, but only said, "At the time, I only wanted him to stop abusing me."
   
  As for the defendant's claim that she had bruises and scratches on her body, Chapson pointed out these injury marks occurred when the defendant was putting her husband's body into the sleeping bag and wrapping it in a carpet.  She had spent three days trying to hide the body.  The defendant said that she had loss memory of anything that happened during the half year after the incident.

Sundry

The "problem'' with her claim of memory loss during and after the fatal fight on November 2, 2003, is that she managed to recount a version of events to Dr Annabel Dythin, on November 4, said Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Peter Chapman.

On November 4, evidence suggests she went to consult Dythin, who compiled an assault report based on an account given by Kissel. The report says she was holding a fork upside down and a glass, while her husband assaulted her using hands and feet, chasing her around the room.

Chapman said the fork was a lie used to explain the puncture wounds on her hands she received when she used the ornament "to smash Robert Kissel's head.''

...

The days about which she has no recollection include "incriminating acts where you sought to cover-up what you had done on November 2 to Robert Kissel,'' said Chapman.

"I don't know what happened to me after that night,'' said Kissel, who said she had to accept what the prosecution claims. "I still don't know. It's a part of my life that's been taken from me,'' she added.

"The person who as had a part of life taken from him, is Robert Kissel, because you killed him,'' said Chapman, "and in order to achieve that purpose, you had to drug him first.''

The accused said there was a "horrible fight'' with a baseball bat. "He was going to kill me, and I defended myself, because he was going to kill me. I fought for my life,'' she said.

"You just forgot to mention that to Dr Dythin, 36 hours later,'' said Chapman.

"You remember not putting drugs in the milkshake, but remember Robert Kissel threatening to kill you,'' noted Chapman.

...

Chapman said she described her husband standing over her, aiming blows to her head from above. "How did you get the better of Robert Kissel using this ornament?''

"I don't know,'' she replied. "Because it didn't happen Mrs Kissel, it just didn't happen,'' said Chapman.

As the day's proceedings ended, the accused, in her loudest outburst yet, exclaimed "he was going to kill me, he was going to kill me, oh God, he was going to kill me'' while lying with her face on the desk.

"Thank you Mrs Kissel, please return to the dock,'' said Justice Michael Lunn.

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