IN AND WOMAN QUARREL,

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 8

IN AND WOMAN QUARREL,

EACH GUT WITH A RAZOR. .WOMAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT. CASE AFTERWARDS DISMISSED. Alice Flora Gray (22), a white woman, and a Niue Islander named Lute Ata have lived together as man and wife for six months. On Saturday they quarrelled, a razor being produced. The sequel to the sordid .business was heard at the Police Court this morning when the woman was charged with haing assaulted Lute Ata. Accused, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr. E. A. Singer. " Complaisant, in evidence, said that they had an argument on Friday and another quarrel on Saturday. He alleged that accused cut him with a razor behind the ear and added that he went out to get a constable. Mr. Singer: You came home on Saturday, had dinner and then said that you were leaving Mrs. Grey.—Yes. You had some drink in you and then you went out and got some more?— Yes. And although you packed up your things, you returned again later on" and started another argument?— Yes. You had the rasor in your pocket and you pulled it out?—Xo, she had the razor and cut me with it. The marks she ha 3 on her arm and chin, how did she get them then, if you did not use the razor on her ?—She got them as I was taking the razor off her. Constable Hines stated that Lute Ata complained to him that the woman had cut him with the razor. Complainant had to have a wound near his ear stitched. Accused admitted having a scufflo with Lute Ata. In a statement which she made to witness, the woman explained that Lute Ata came home for dinner. Following an argument he said he was packing up and wa3 going to leave her. He struck her and she struck him back. Then, she alleged, he said, "If you've finished with me, I'll finish you," and he attacked her with the razor. She then turned the razor upon him. Accused, giving evidence on the lines of her statement to the constable, added that Lute Ata was very drunk. She denied that she had the razor first. Mr. Singer submitted the woman's story was more probable than that of complainant. "I do not think so, Mr. Singer. If he had packed up hi 3 things it wouud not be likely that he would carry the razor in his pocket," said Mr. McKean. In reply to a question by the magistrate as to whether the two were still living in the same house, accused said that Lue Ata had been looking after her baby since she had been in custody. The magistrate dismissed the charge.