A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 37, 12 February 1920, Page 7

A SERIOUS CHARGE.

WESTERN PARK CASE. Charges of having indecently exposed himself in Western Park and of having assaulted a young woman on Monday about midday, were preferred against Cecil James Ballentine (30), before Mr. J. K. Wilson, S.M., to-day. The young woman stated that when s'/e was sitting in the park about 1 p.m., on Monday, ehe noticed accused lyins on the grass a little distance away. He whistled once or twice and she glanced round and noticed that the man was exposing himself. She then went to the ladie*' lavatory, which was out of eight of the man, and just as she was coming out she met the man at the door. She said "What do you want?" and he made a grab at her throat, but she pushed him away and lu6 hand only touched her neck. She then called for help, and the park-keeper came up. Ballentine then ran away and hid behind some trees, but the man who came up called to another man who stopped and caught Ballentine. At firet she thought her puree was gone, but she found it was not gone.

T.~nder cross-examination by ilr. J. .T. Sullivan (for accused), the witness admitted that she had merely glanced at the man when he was on the grass; but she felt certain he was the same man as had met her at the lavatory. She was not at work that day ac she had been ill, and was snbject to fainting fits.

Charles McCarthy, the park caretaker, and John Moriarty, his assistant, identified Ballentine as the man who ran away, and both stated that the man's frequent visits to the park, and his demeanour, had edited suspicion.

Accused, who said that he was a confectioner, stated that he had just walked through the park, without loitering, when he was stopped by the caretaker. He denied that he was the man the girl saw on the erase, or that he had been near the ladies' lavatory.

Accused was found guilty on both charges and was remanded for sentence for a week.