ASSAULT ALLEGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 289, 6 December 1928, Page 8

ASSAULT ALLEGED.

MENTAL PATIENT'S STORY.

ATTENDANT CHARGED.

HEARING ADJOURNED.

(By Telegraph.— Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

A special Magistrate's Court was held at the Mental Hospital at Porirua to-day when Henry Dixon Tyrer, an attendant, was charged with causing actual bodily harm to a patient of the institute.

It was alleged the patient, whose condition was stated to be serious, had been kicked by the accused.

Two doctore gave evidence that they had conducted a preliminary examination of complainant in regard to his mental condition, and were satisfied that he understood the nature of an oath, and was competent to give evidence.

Complainant, whose evidence was taken in the hospital ward of an asylum, said he was a single man, 52 years of age, and had been in the mental hospital eince 1922. On Saturday last he told some of the other patients he was going to break a window, and next day he threw a piece of clay through a window in the room in which accused slept. Accused said he could not sleep in a room with a broken window, and witness should be made to clean up the glass, or he would make him. He took witnese into the room, and tripped him, so that he fell to the floor. Another attendant was also in the room. Accused kicked witness in the small of the back, chest, and stomach, altogether about seven or eight times. Then he lifted witness up and. punched him under the jaw, and threw him down again. Witness knocked hie head again the wall. Accused again kicked him, and danced on hie chest with his boots. He then lifted witness, and said, "Have you had enough?" Witnese replied "Yes." Accused said, "You won't break any more windows?" Witness answered, "No." Then accused said, "You can break all the dash windows in the place so long as you don't break mine." All this time the other attendant was looking on, and did not interfere. Witness eventually left the room and went to dinner. He was feeling a good deal of pain. He did not eat anything, and finally aeked one of the other attendants if he could lie down. This attendant took him into the office, looked at hie chest, and said, "There is something broken." Accused also looked at witnese , chest, and- a&ked him how he had done it. Witness did not answer him. Hβ was taken to the hospital by accused, who said as they were going along, "Play the game, and say nothing about it. Witness promised to say nothing to the doctors. In reply to the council, witnese said !he did not call for help, as it was no use. None of the warden would have assisted him. He denied that he had ever been violent, but admitted that he had given trouble at various times. He alleged that accused had attacked scores of other men. After the patient's evidence had been taken accused was remanded until next Wednesday.