81 So. 350 | Ala. Ct. App. | 1919
On the trial of this case, the wife of the defendant, testifying in his behalf, related the details of a difficulty between herself and the deceased, which occurred on the morning of the day of the homicide, in which the deceased attempted to outrage her, and in the fight the deceased struck her several blows in the face, and otherwise injured her, and then left her. She further testified that when her husband (the defendant) came home from his work, about 5 o'clock of the same day, she showed him her injuries, told him the details as testified to and the name of the deceased. In rebuttal, the state, over the timely objection of the defendant, was allowed to offer testimony tending to contradict the wife's statement as to the details of the difficulty between the wife of defendant and deceased. The evidence in the case, and even the testimony of the defendant himself, is to the effect that, when the defendant learned of the assault made on his wife by the deceased, defendant armed himself, sought out the deceased, whom he found in a dance hall in Jasper, and when he found him he proceeded to kill him. There was therefore no element of self-defense involved in the trial, no question as to who brought on the difficulty, and hence the details of the mistreatment of defendant's wife by deceased was not competent evidence under the plea of not guilty. Gafford v. State,
It is the mental condition of the defendant at the time of the homicide as effected by information coming to him, and upon which he acts, that is material. Rogers v. State,
Reversed and remanded.