FATHER'S STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 8

FATHER'S STORY.

FRIENDSHIP OF SON. WITH MARRIED WOMAN. INTERVENTION FAILED. ! The storty of the efforts of two men— the father of a young man of 24 and the husband of a woman with five children— to break up an alleged friendship between the son of the former with the wife of the latter was told in the Police Court this morning, -when Edward Hunter, aged 59, was charged -with assaulting Constance Winifred Hayward on July 23, and also wrth misihicf by wilfully damaging her spectacles, valued at £3. Defendant, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector Fox said that Leo Hunter, aged 24, eon of the defendant, had for some years past been a boarder at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hayward, Portage Road, New Lynn. "For some time past Hayward has noticed that his wife and Hunter, jun., were getting too friendly, and he requested Hunter to leave," added Mr. Fox. "But Hunter refused to leave, Mrs. Hayward assisting and agreeing with anything that Hunter did. Hay" ward then appealed to Hunter, sen., the defendant, to see if he could bring pressure to bear on hie son to leave the Haywards' house, but this, was without result." Assault Admitted. Continuing, Mr. Fox said defendant had an interview with Mrs. Hayward in Portage Road at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 23. when it was alleged that he struck her on the side of the face. "Defendant admits the assault, but says he merely flicked the spectacles off her face, this being done deliberately to bring certain matters before the Court. Defendant was quite frank about the matter." Constable Boag. stationed at New Lynn, who knew all the parties involved, produced a statement taken from defendant, who was interviewed on Julv 25. In the statement given to Constable Boag the defendant said his son, Leo Hunter, was living at the home of the Hay wards, and he had seen his son and Sirs. Hayward kissing and hugging each other. "I take exception to the way they are living, my son taking the place of Mr. Hayward in the home," added defendant in the statement. "There are nve children and I am sorry for them, for Mr. Hayward has no say in the home. Mr. Hayward has appealed to me to separate the friendship of his wife and my son. Mr. Hayward has ordered my son from the home. He refuses to leave. "On Saturday, July 23, at 9 a.m., I was on my way to* Avondale when I met Mrs. Hayward in Portage Road. I asked her what she meant by leading the life she was doing and dragging my boy down with her. T told her she should I be ashamed of herself and that she was a disgrace to everyone belonging to her.' Mre. Hayward then said to me, 'You I are nothing better than a J "I then decided to bring the whole I thing to a head and get full publicity j and I flicked her glasses off her nose. I did not strike her with my clenched fist. I did not see if I broke lier glasses. I did not believe I did break them." Defendant denied using bad language to Mrs. Hayward, stating that he" was not in the habit of using bad language. Husband Thrashed? The husband of this woman has appealed to the police on several occasions," said Constable Boag. "Two days after the incident between Hunter, sen., and Mrs. Hayward in the street, Mrs! Hayward and Leo Hunter gave Mr. Hayward a very severe thrashing, and two days after that Mrs. Hayward and young Hunter left the house with the five children and they are still living together. The husband went home to an empty house. He is sitting on his own at the back of the Court to-day | while Mrs. Hayward, with one of her daughters, is sitting with Hunter, jun., in another part of the Court." The Magistrate, Mr. C. R. Orr Walker: What Hunter, sen., has done hasn't done any good, lias it T "Xo -sir, it has not," replied the constable. Mrs. Hayward then went into Uie witness box. She said she was living apart from her husband. Describing the alleged assault upon her by the defendant, she said Hunter .slapped her on the face and blackened her eye and smashed her glasses. "He was on his way to church at the tjme, too," said witness. "With his cycle he pushed me into the scrub." A daughter of Mrs. Hayward, aged 11, was then called. She said she was with hor mother when Hunter accosted them. "Mr. Hunter pushed mother into the prickles," said the girl. "My object in defending this case was to try and rescue Mrs. Hayward and my son from the way they" have been living," said defendant when asked tf he had anything to say. Mr. Orr Walker: But you see what you have done. They have both left the house?— Yes, I realise that. I toe* that all on my own shoulders. I flicked the spectacles off her face but I did not mean to assault. I regret it. "Not Worth It." _ Mr. Orr Walker: I thought you had lived long enough to know not' to try to get your son away from this woman if he loves her?— Yes, but I thought you might be able to assist the husband and me. "I suggest that you let things go," continued Mr. Orr Walker. "Hayward has got his remedy in bringing either separation or divorce proceedings, when the matter could be thrashed out on its merits. The Court cannot approve of what you did. I think Mrs. Hayward has exaggerated the assault a bit— that's only natural. I will have to hold that what you did was not legally justifiable. however much it might be morally. I will take that you were angerecL at what you thought was an injustice. I don't think you meant to assault her." Defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months and ordered to pay damage amounting to 12/6, plus witnesses' expenses, 6/3. He was also ordered to keep away from Mrs. Hayward and her family. "If your son is doing what you say be is—well, he is not worth getting yourself into trouble," advised the magistrate. Hunter: Thank you, sir.