03/06/2026
Most locals know the story of the infamous 1903 Hardey Road vineyard murder in what is now Glen Forrest. After being refused an illegal sale of a single bottle of wine, French labourer Frédéric Mailliat shot vineyard owner Charles Lauffer dead during a violent attack by a drunken picnic party. What is less well known is that while awaiting ex*****on in Fremantle Gaol, Mailliat was overcome with remorse. In a letter to his family in France he wrote, "I killed a man. I am not worthy of love." More than a century later, singer-songwriter Véronique Ramén was given access to Mailliat's letter and was inspired to imagine what Mailliat might have been feeling on his final night alive before the hangman came. The result was the haunting song I Killed a Man - a reflection on guilt, regret, and the devastating consequences of a single terrible act. Ramen has recorded the song with her band Cassis, which features 2 Darlingtonians Warren Hall and Jon Edwards, both of whom have played at Day in The Forrest over the years. She also made a video in the burnt out remains of the reserve off Glen Road, Darlington.
We love to see our friends at work!! Go Wazza and Jon!
You can also see the video on the first page of Cassis website cassisband.com
