BERSERK WOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1937, Page 24

BERSERK WOMAN.

DRIVER ASSAULTED.

PUNCHED ON NOSE.

BITTEN IN NECK.

LONDON.

A story of a woman's attack on a motorist whg had run over her dog was told at Steyning (Sussex) Police Court. Miss Patricia Mathers, of Northover Farm, Ashurst, near Steyning, was fined £2 with £2 U/6 costs for wilful damage to a car belonging to Mr., Charles Allen Matthews, sales manager, of Dvke Road, Brighton. ° * Miss Mathers did not appear and was not legally represented, but a letter from Mr. Mathers was read in which he enclosed a cheque for £2. The letter said that owing to accumulation of work Miss Mathers was unable to appear and that she acted under «reat provocation. Superintendent Lewis read a statement made by Mr. Matthews, who said: "Two dogs ran out and one struck my bumper. I made inquiries to trace the owner, and spoke to a man -who said that it was his sister's dog. "I told him it could not be helped, and me for what I had done. "At that moment a girl arrived, and asked me if I was the person who ran over the dog. I replied that I was. By this time the dog had recovered and walked a way.

"Punched Me."

She immediately assaulted me, punched me on the nose, and called me a swine. I defended myself the best way I could without striking her. She then jumped on my back, pulled me to the ground, and tried to throttle

"I asked her two companions to pull her off a,,d they did, but not before she nad bitten me in the neck. "Her mother arrived and advised me to go away. I did, and the girl followed nie to my car. "When I started it she got on to the running board and pulled the wbeel over, forcing me to stop. "She then entered the car through the driving window, and I got out. She tried to drive the car away. This I stopped by taking away the ignition key. "She then put her foot through the windscreen and smashed it. "I walked away to phone the police, and while I was away goods in my car valued at £20 were taken out and thrown over hedges along the road." Mr. J. Stuart Daniel, who held a watching brief for Mr. Matthews, asked the Bench not to include any sum for damages in any penalty, because there would be a civil action in which that question would arise.