SERIOUS CHARGE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18671, 21 April 1926, Page 7

SERIOUS CHARGE.

SUPPLYING A DRUG. YOUNG MAN COMMITTED FOR | TRIAL. A sequel of the case, in which- a young . woman was charged with. attempted suicide, was heard at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when George Henry Johnson, a painter, of 61 Caledonian road, appeared before Mr H. A. Young, S.M., on a charge of having, on April oth, unlawfully supplied to a woman a certain noxious thing, knowing the same was to be used for an unlawful purpose. I Mr W. F. Trac> y appeared for' accused. : ' . The girl, who. stated that she resided at 79- North road 1 , Papanui, said she had b.een keeping company with accused for the past ten months. About a month previously she .discovered that she was. in a certain condition, and told Johnsou. The latter said he would do what he could for her. Subsequently he bought her some pills, stating that he hoped they w.ould make her better. She took fourteen of ihe ! pills. On April 9th she was out with Johnson, and he returned with her to where she was living. This was the . night on ' which she took the lodiin. Accused gave her a second bos of pilis that ovening, remarking that a-j did riot think the first box would I>6 enough, so he had obtained the second one. She had wrapped them i.p in brown paper and addressed them to him. Attempted Poisoning. To Mr Tracy: Accused had absolutely nothing to do with the iodine, -inJ • had no idea that she was going to uso it until it. was too late. The Bench said that although lie had no power to order suppression, he thought it best that, in view of vM had'taken place on the previous day, the witness's\iame be not mentionel in the newspapers. Detective Baylis said that ho ivJ interviewed accused at the Detective Office on April 18th, when he made_ s ; statement admitting buying the pills, and giving them to the girl. W.on accused was arrested he said : "That is correct, all except that stating thai I knew she was in a certain condition. About that time we were not sure." The Bench: Are these things used for that purpose? Detective Baylis: I would not swear to it, sir. Accused pleaded not guilty and reserved'his defence. He was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Mr Tracy asked for bail. He said that there was every chance of the difficvjlties in the way of the young people taking the course they wished to pur--ue being removed. Johnson's job was open to him, and there was no chance of a repetition of the alleged offence. Detective Sergeant Young said there were no objections to bail on the part of the police. , The girl's father, who was in Court, said he was not opposed to the accused obtaining bail. Mr Young allowed bail in the sum of £l5O. with one surety of £l5O or two of £75 each.