preview

Research Paper On Ned Kelly

Decent Essays

“A psychopathic criminal misfit who left a trail of destruction and misery in his wake.” (Moor, 2013) Edward “Ned” Kelly (1854 - 1880) was a convicted murderer, horse and cattle thief and bank robber as well as the leader of an infamous group of Australian outlaw bushrangers named the ‘Kelly Gang’. He committed a large number of major crimes, terrorised the towns of Victoria by invoking fear and distress in citizens’ hearts and endangered hundreds of civilians’ lives in his many ruthless exploits. Ned Kelly was a villain; an enemy of society who condemned the police for all his wrongdoings.
The vast array of transgressions committed by Kelly clearly displays his strong sense of criminality. From 1870 to 1874, Kelly was arrested for numerous charges including assault, theft and robbery and received a total of six and a half years’ imprisonment. “In 1870, Kelly was convicted of summary offences and imprisoned for six months. Soon after release he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for receiving a mare knowing it to have been stolen.” (Barry, 1974) In 1877, he had stolen hundreds of stock by his own admission, claiming in the Jerilderie Letter that this was caused by police persecution and that it was necessary to support his poverty-stricken family. However, these crimes remain inexcusable. “No one cares that Kelly may have had a tough life. Almost every single person in the 19th century colony of Victoria had a tough life - and they didn't all become murdering armed

Get Access