SUPREME COURT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 243, 17 November 1914, Page 10

SUPREME COURT.

ALLEGED ASSAULT AND ROBBERY VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY. After The Sun went to press yesterday the trial'of William Muncey (Mr Leathern) and Walter Ireland (Mr Hunter), charged with assault and robbery, was continued in the Supreme Court, before his Honour Mr Justice Denniston. Mr 8. G. Raymond, K.C., conducted the prosecution on behalf • of the Crown. The defence was an alibi. v After a retirement of .30 minutes, the jory brought in a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoners were discharged. CARNAL" KNOWLEDGE. Stanley Austiu Joseph Suckling (Mr F. K. Hunt) was charged with having unlawful carnal knowledge of. a. girl under the age of sixteen years. He pleaded not guilty. t The accused was previously tried on the same charge earlier in the session,' when the jury disagreed. After a short retirement the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Sentence was deferred. ATTEMPTED ROBBERY ALLEGED. William Br own and Johu McConville were charged with having on August 7, 1914, at ChristchuiK'h, assaulted Felix Heart, with intent to rob him. Each accused was also individually charged with the offence.. Both pleaded not guilty. Mr E. T. Harper appeared for Brown,' and Mr'Spratt for McConville.

The case for the Crown was that onj the evening of the date in question, about 10 o'clock, Heart was outside a I iish shop in Christchurch. The accused j

showed him the way upstairs, and when he returned to the' street after supper he found the accused .waiting for him. They accompanied him along Cashel Street to Cambridge Terrace, and he found they were "shepherding" him. He wont up a lane and placed his money in his sock. He returned and found the accused still waiting. Seeing that they "meant business" Heart fold them he lived up the lane and left. They followed him ami attacked him. The noise disturbed the occupants of an adjacent house, and the' police were telephoned for. When the constable arrived he saw two men on the river bank. They made off, and he pursued one, capturing McConville after a chase. Heart pursued the other, but failed to catch him. The accused Brown was arrested the next dav. ;

McConville, in his defence, admitted th-it he was with Heart, but denied that he assaulted him with intent to rob. He attempted to strike Heart, he said, in consequence of some language he used towards him, and Heart tied up the lane. He pursued him and caught him, and a stand-up fight took place. (Proceeding.)