"PERJURY AND SLANDER"

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 266, 9 November 1928, Page 9

"PERJURY AND SLANDER"

MAGISTRATE'S COMMENT.

JUDGMENT IN TURUA SASE.

"UNSCRUPULOUS" DEFENCE,

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

THAMES, this day.

Most caustic comment was made this morning by Mr. Platts, S.M., in delivering a reserved judgment in a case in which a single girl, of Turua, proceeded against Laurie Schmidt for an affiliation order.

"In this case," said his Worship, "there has been a regrettable amouiit of perjury and slander. The defence was a denial of paternity, and an unscrupulous attempt by the defendant to blacken the character of the complainant. An important date is Saturday night, October 15, 1927, when complainant swears defendant took her home from the pictures, and intimacy took place.

Defendant denies this, and swears he went .home with members of his own family. The evidence shows he did not do so, and the attempt of defendant and his witness to prove that he did was responsible for a great deal of false swearing. Defendant goes further, and swears he had not been out alono with complainant since June, 1927. Here also it was proved the statement was false.

"The evidence throughout was unsatisfactory and unreliable. After careful consideration of the evidence, I have come to the conclusion that complainant's story is true. It finds corroboration not only in evidence adduced, but also in the falsity of defendant's evidence that lie went home with members of his own family on October 15, 1927, and was never out alone with complainant after June, 1927."

The defendant was adjudged the father of the child, and ordered to pay 15/- per week maintenance, £5 5/ birth expenses, and £2 2/ for solicitor's fee. The Bench fixed security for appeal at £35.