DAUGHTER STRUCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 273, 17 November 1936, Page 3

DAUGHTER STRUCK.

FATHER BEFORE THE COURT. INCIDENT AT OTAHUHU. In the Police Court at Otaliuhu yesterday, before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., William George Lynn (Mr. Allan Moody) pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting his 19-year-old daughter, Ngaira Lynn, by striking her with his clenched fist and kicking her. Ngaira Lynn, a smartly-dressed and good-looking girl, stated that her mother had told her to make her choice between two young men, and she had done so. When her father came home and was told of her decision he objected and hit her across the face. She told him not to hit her and he said that he'd show her and hit her again and swore at her. When witness tried to run out of the house her father grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back, and then punched her in the mouth, knocking her to the sofa. After she had been hit across the mouth again she rushed from the house to the workshop and shouted to her young man to stop her father from hitting lier again. In spite of the young man's efforts her father punched her again, bruising her face and lips and knocking her to the ground, where he kicked lier. When she arose he threw her against the window and hit her again and then pushed her outside. When she got back to the house he knocked her into a chair and told her to stay there. The next morning she arose early and felt too ill to do any work, but her father grabbed her by the hair and pushed lier outside. He noticed her limping and told her that he would make her limp more and even cripple her. She went over to her married tester's place and her father followed her over and burst into the house, threw off the bedclothes and tried to pet at her, when Constable Maloney interfered. Cross-examined by Mr. Moody, witness admitted that* she had once been spoken to by Constable Malonev for staving out until 2 a.m. Dr. Valentine gave evidence that the marks and bruises on the girl's face were consistent with her story. Sister's Evidence. Olga Atchison, a married sister of the first witness, stated that on the morninsr in question her sister came running into ! her place in an exhausted condition, and | could hardly speak. Her lips and eyes ' were bruised, and >he was at the point ■ of collapse. Arthur Kennel! stated that the girl j came running into the brooder ho;i c e to | him for protection, and he tried to stop j her father by getting between them. He ! corroborated the girl's story of the ! assault in the brooder house. Constable Maloney stated that he saw the girl at Atchison's house, and her face was swollen, her lips bleeding, and she . had bruises on her back. So far as witness knew the girl was nor a wayward girl, and the previous trouble had been more of a family quarrel than anything else. Counsel's Appeal. Mr. Moody said that there was no doubt that defendant was tr-ving to check the girl, and when she defied him he lost hjs temper. Lynn had been suffering from a nervous breakdown, and was not quite himself. He asked 1 the Bench could not strain a point and not enter a conviction. William George Lynn, the defendant, stated that he was irritated at the- girl wasting the man's time ill the workshop when he was paying him 2/0 an hour. He had told the girl that while she was living under his roof she would obey him. and she had defied him. He had smacked her, and when she rat into the brooder house she had fallen over a saw stool. He denied that he had ever kicked her. but he felt he had a legal and moral right to correct her. Susan Lynn, wife of defendant, bore' out her husband's testimony, and denied that the girl was kicked. Mr. Hunt: Every citizen has a light to protection. There comes a time when parents must realise that child'en are above chastisement. This man lost his temper and became annoyed at her spooning with the man in working time. No woman must be assaulted, and I believe the girl was kicked. Defendant will be convicted and fined £•">, or one month in prison. Mr. Moody: Would it not be possible to save a conviction under the First Offenders' Act? Mr. Hunt: Certainly not. What will the next one say?