MELBOURNE, VIC. — Kelly’s trial began on October 19, 1880, before Sir Redmond Barry, the judge who had sentenced his mother over the Fitzpatrick incident. The novice barrister Henry Bindon appeared for Kelly, with Gaunson serving as counsel.
The trial was adjourned to October 28, and the prosecution reduced the charges to Lonigan’s murder, based on McIntyre’s testimony that Kelly alone had shot him. Kelly pleaded not guilty. He was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on October 29, 1880.
Many of Ned Kelly’s peers held him in high regard for his stand of usually only ambushing wealthy landowners, and helped to keep his whereabouts from the police, despite the high reward posted for his capture.
However, he was betrayed to the police whilst holding dozens of people hostage in the Glenrowan Inn in June 1880. Wearing their famous armour, the Kelly brothers held a shootout with police. The Kelly brothers were killed, but Ned was shot twenty-eight times in the legs, being unprotected by the armour.
Ned Kelly, Australia’s most famous bushranger, was born in December 1854 in Victoria, Australia. Kelly was twelve when his father died, and he was subsequently required to leave school to take on the new position as head of the family.
Shortly after this, the Kellys moved to Glenrowan. As a teenager, Ned became involved in petty crimes, regularly targeting the wealthy landowners.
He gradually progressed to crimes of increasing seriousness and violence, including bank robbery and murder, soon becoming a hunted man.
