CHARGE OF WOUNDING.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17062, 5 February 1921, Page 7

CHARGE OF WOUNDING.

♦ HITCHEN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL Ri<&a3Tl Hitob«n, whjo voluntarily gave himself up to the police, appeared at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr V. Cr. Day, S.M., the charge being that on January 24th, at Addington, , with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Raymond Brownlea Rapley, he did wound him, this being an indictable offence. Rapley, for whom Mr A. J. Malley appeared, was present with a muffler round hi 9 neck to hide his wound. Dr. George Herbert Thompson, house surgeon at the Christ-church Hospital, stated that on January 24th, R-apley was brought to the Hospital and examined by witness at 6.45 p.m. Ho was suffering from a deep incised wound on the right side of the face and neck, about seven inches in length. It had severed several blood-vessels, one a large one. He also had a small incised wound on the right arm, and some slight He was taken to the operating theatre, where the wound was stitched up. Rjs recovery was rapid, very slight disability being caused, except numbness of tho skin and other slight injuries. It was too early ,to state yet whether any permanent injuries would be suffered. "Witness considered that the wound started from the front and finished at tlie back. It could have been caused by a razor. The wounds were very serious, and might have resulted in death. j Raymond Brownlea Rapley, residing I at Cotterill street, Addington, paid that he was a motor driver, employed by the Farmers' Co-op. Association. On the evening in question, when corning from his work, ho saw liis wife and the accused at the corner of Cotterill and Harmaa streets. Witness's wile and Hitchen were struggling, and just as witness got near she smacked Hitchen on the face. "Witness' walked over to the couple. Before witness could do anything, tho accused rushed at him. n.nd both fell. The next thing that witness romombered was feeling blood flowing from his throat. He got up right awav and asked to be taken to a doctor. The accused was holding a razor in his hand—witness thought it was tho right hand. When thev fell, the aceusedwas slightly on top of witness. About ten oi r twelvo people were looking on, but witness did not recognise any of them. When witness got up he Said: "My God, he has cut my throat." Mr Ferguson, a motor van driver, then came along, and took witness to the Hospital. Witness saw the accused standing on the footpath. Witness had. known the accused for about twelve mouths. The accused had boarded with witness at Brighton, and then had a razor in his possession. Tho accused took witness's wife away on one occasion, and lived with her for about throe months. She retumod to witness about November sth of last year. The accused, about a month ago, called to seo witness at witness's House, coming in a cab. The accused wanted witness to go outside and fight him. He and tho accused went away whon ordered to do so by witness's mother-in-law. The coat and shirt produced in Court were worn.by witness when he was struggling with the accused. Prior, to the struggle they had no cuts on them-. • Lily Evelyn Rapley, wife of the last witness, said that she had known the accused for. many years. He started visiting her house over twelve mouths ago, aud later came to board. Witness had a quarrel with her husband and left him to live with the accused for about three months. She took her ehil_ dren wifli her. At the latter end of last year she returned to her husband, and had lived with him since. Chi different occasions she had seen Hitcnen since. On.January 24th she met the 'accused' at"-the, corner of Montr ear street and the South belt, between £ p m and 3 p.m. Witness's sister and she walked up the street with him. Witness and accused remained together until witness's husband came along. The accused and'witness had an argument before her husband arrived. He hit witness, who hit back. Rapley then came alonf;, and'the two men commenced struggling together 1 hey tell, and when they got up Rapley said his throat had been out. She saw a razor in accused's hand before the wound had been inflicted, but did not seo it later. The acuseel, when he had the razor jn his hand, either open or closed, said to witness, "I will do for you if you speak to hiro/' meaning her husband. Ibis was just before her husband arrived on the scene. She identified the coat and shirt produced as those worn by her husband at the time of the struggle. There were no holes in the garments before her husband left for his work m the morning. Edward Parlane. a driver, living at. Cotterill street, said that ho saw two men and a woman on the corner of Cotterill and Harman streets. He recognised the three, as Rapley and his wife and the accused, Hitchen although he did not know who Hitchen was at tho time. Hitchen aud Rapley were a few yards apart, Mrs Rapley being beside her husband. Mrs Rapley turned as if to go down Cotterill street. As soon as she commenced to walk awav, Hitchen went-up to Rapley and struck him. Rapley did not retaliate until struck a second time. The two men then got to grips, and fell into the side channel, their heads in the gutter and their bodies across tho footpath. When' they fell first, Rapley was underneath, but got on top after a moment. Mrs Rapley then commenced to kick at the men on the ground. Witness went Co separate the men, thinking ihey would injure each other, but before he got to them, Rapley got up with a wound in his neck. Mrs Rapley caught hold of the injured man, and said'to accused, "You have killed my Liii-hand. You have cut his throat." Witness then noticed a razor in Hitchen's hand. Hitchen was standing in the road working his hands about in an agitated manner. The razor was open, and was covered .with blood. Witness then left to ring up the police. William Robert Archibald, a. baker, employed at Addington, gave similar evidence. David Ferguson, a motor-van driver, said that when he saw Mr and Mrs Rapley first of all, they appeared to have their arms round each other. A little later he saw that Raple.v's throat was cut; so he got Rapley on the seat of his van, and/ took him to the hospital with a handkerchief wrapped round the wound. Witness saw no sign of the accused at all. Detective-Sergeant Thus. Gibson stated that about 7.30 p.m. on the evening in question he saw a quantfly oT blood at the intersection of the two streets. Fifteen paces away there was more blood, but no sign ,of a weapon likely to have caused .Rapley's wound. When Hitchen surrendered to the police, the accused said he would have" done so sooner but that he was suffering from a sore throat caused by Rapley holding him bv the throat. Plain-clothes Constable John Thompson gave evidence as to the accused surrendering himself. He said, '1 have read all about it in the papers, and I have come to give myself up." When | charged with committing the offence, he | made no reply. Hitchen had a recently ! made wound ou the right hand, and said ■ that he received it in his struggle with Rapley.' ; The accused, who pleaded not guilty. preserved his defence, and was committed | to the Supreme Court for trial. | Mr Malley applied for hail, which was granted in accused's own recognisance of £250, one suretv of £250, or two sureties of £125 each.