MAGISTERIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8246, 11 December 1911, Page 5

MAGISTERIAL.

ASH BO RTON—MONDAY

(Before Messrs T. E. Upton, J.P (Chairman), G. W. Andrews, JP and W. H." Rule, J.P.)

A Violent Prisoner. Godfrey Leonard Clarke appeared on j three separate charges—drunkenness, obscene language, and resisting . the police in the execution of their duty. Constable Torrance deposed that at about ten minutes to seven the previous evening he was proceeding along East Street, when he saw three men near' the Baring Square Church. Clarke was among them, and he appeared to be intoxicated. He asked one of the men to take Clarke away, but he would not go, and started punching the man who wanted to take him home. He (the constable}-then arrested accused, who went peaceably enough until about to; get into a cab to go to the police station, when he forcibly resisted. After some difficulty, and with the assistance' of some bystanders, the constable said ho succeeded in handcuffing the pri-1 soner, who then made use of the language complained of. It was some of the worst he had ever heard, and the prisoner repeated it again and again. By the Sei'geant : I had to send to the police station for assistance. When the prisoner arrived at the station his conduct was disgraceful. He used bad language, took off his shirt and tore it to. pieces, tying the 1 fragments into I numberless knots. (The garment was! produced.) The language used could j easily have been heard on the main street. Sergeant Fouhy said that the temper of the crowd when accused was being arrested was anything but creditable. One man who endeavoured to assist the police was pulled off by others, and towards another who went for assistance an opprobrious epithet was used. From the conduct of the crowd, prosecutions would follow. Accused, who pleaded not guilty to I the language used, said that he did not j think he was in a public place or he would not have used the language. Though he was drunk, he knew that no j ladies were near by,.and when he used j the language complained of there was only himself- and the policeman there. He further stated that the reason he tore his shirt up was because he was annoyed. i The Bench admonished accused, and for drunkenness fined him 10s or fortyeight hours' imprisonment, and for resisting the police ho was fined £2, in default seven days' imprisonment. As there was a doubt as to tho locality where the language was made use of being a public place, he was discharged on the third count. j The fines were paid by a friend of accused, who appeared much affected as he left the Court.