MAN TO STAND TRIAL ON ASSAULT CHARGES

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27408, 22 July 1954, Page 3

MAN TO STAND TRIAL ON ASSAULT CHARGES

Stefan Baraklinski, aged 46, a motor mechanic, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to charges that on June 23 he assaulted Peter Dalliessi so as to cause him actual bodily harm, that he assaulted Edmea Nina Zavoreo, and that he assaulted William Henry Shepherd. Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., committed Baraklinski to the Supreme Court for trial on all three charges. Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty prosecuted, and Mr B. McClelland appeared for Baraklinski.

The charges were read to Baraklinski through an interpreter. When one witness, Mrs Zavoreo, an Italian, was giving evidence, the complainant Dalliessi acted as her interpreter. Dr. Lawrence Allan Malcolm, a house surgeon at the Christchurch Public Hospital, said that Peter Dalliessi was taken to the hospital about 9.30 p.m. on June 23 with a wound on the left thigh and left groin. The wounds could have been caused by the knife produced. The groin wound was within two inches of an important artery. Stitches had to be inserted in the wounds.

Dr. Colin Thomas Bushby Pearson, a pathologist, said he examined on June 25 the pocket-knife produced. There were bloodstains on a blade and he carried out precipitant tests to determine whether it was human blood but he was unable to obtain a positive result. This negative result might have been due to the small amount of blood or to the blood not being human blood. Peter Dalliessi, licensee of the New Zealander Hotel, Christchurch, said he knew the accused. On the evening of June 23, about 8.30 p.m. he saw the accused and Mrs Ada Gleeson talking outside the door of the hotel. He then went to see Mrs Gleeson’s mother, Mrs Zavoreo, in the hotel kitchen, and decided to drive these two women •home. As he walked out to his car. Baraklinski said he wanted to marry Mrs Zavoreo and if she *did not decide to marry him he would kill her. He also said he would kill Bill Shepherd. Unbuttoned Overcoat “I told him not to be so silly. I said why worry. There are plenty of other women,” said Dalliessi. 4 ‘l told him to get away and gave him a slight push when he wanted to come to the car with me. The accused unbuttoned his overcoat, put his hand in a pocket of his suit and pulled out his hand again. Mrs Gleeson told me to look out for he had a knife. I did not think he would do anything for we had no quarrel and we had had a drink together earlier that day. He caught me by the tie and gave me a poke on the thigh and the groin. He never said very much and I don’t know what he said.

“Mrs Gleeson had gone to the hotel and got my daughter,” said Dalliessi. “Three or four men came out of the hotel. I felt something running down my leg and when I looked down I saw it was blood. I realised I had been stabbed.

“I asked that the police be telephoned and got the men there to hold the accused. I later went to the public hospital. The wounds bled freely. Besides the ones on my thigh and groin there was a slight one on my left buttock. I had to stay in bed several days and receive medical attention,” said Dalliessi. “The accused and another man were in my hotel about 3 p.m. that day and I had one drink with him. He seemed quite friendly. He went away and then came back about 4 p.m. to look for Mrs Gleeson,” said witness. Ada Maria Gleeson, a married woman, said she was a waitress at the New Zealander Hotel. She knew the accused and he used to visit her home. Baraklinski asked her if she would be happy if he married mother. She had heard Baraklinski ask her mother to marry him. Her

mother said she could not marry him and would not marry him because she was not divorced from her husband. The accused called at the New Zealander Hotel on June 23. That evening at 7.30 p.m. her mother and a man Bill Shepherd came to the hotel. Her mother was upset and crying. About 8.30 p.m. witness was called to the front door of the hotel. . Baraklinski was there. Her mother and Dalliessi came to the door of the hotel and as the three of them walked towards Dalliessi’s car, Baraklinski followed them. Dalliessi said to him: “Why do you want to force this woman when she doesn’t want to marry you? There are plenty of other women.” Dalliessi gave him a light push. She saw Baraklinksi put his hand in his pocket and she knew he. had a knife. She called out to Dalliessi and then ran into . the hotel to get Dalliessi’s daughter. Some men went out of the hotel and held Baraklinski. When Dalliessi went into the hotel, blood I was running down his leg. Edmea Nina Zavoreo, a married woman, said she was Itailan born. Her husband was in Jugoslavia. She had known the accused for about three» weeks before June 23. ‘ She was tired] of hearing him always asking her toj marry him. She always refused him.. He was waiting at the bus stop when} she went home on the evening of June--23 and walked along the street with, her against her wishes. He said that if she did not marry him no-one else| would be able to marry her. Witness said accused went into the* house with her, though she did not: want him to do so. He took a knifei out of a pocket and said that if she| did not meet him in Cathedral} square at 7.30 p.m. the following day 4 he would kill her and then kill him-i s self. He said: “Do you see this knife?* It is for you and then for myself ifj • you do not marry me.” Witness said she was very frightened for she believed he would carry out 7 his threats. Bill Shepherd arrived; E home and, after hearing what witness B had to say, went out by the back door., ° The accused was there and caught} £ Shepherd by the throat. F Witness went outside to Separates them and she heard the accused say to» Shepherd: “I kill you too.” After some words, the accused went away* and she went inside the house ana bolted the door. Visit to Hotel Mrs Zavoreo said that she and Shep-| herd, the owner of the house, went toi the New Zealander Hotel about 7.30 p.m. that day. When she knew that the accused was at the hotel she locked herself in the washhouse there. When Dalliessi and she were leaving the a hotel later the accused spoke to her, : saying he wanted to see her the fol-| lowing day. She saw the accused! undo his coat and then catch Dalliessi’ by the tie. She then went into the ' hotel for help. William Henry Shepherd, a carpen- ' ter, gave similar evidence on the 1 events of the evening of June 23. Supporting evidence was given by • Normp Pierina Dalliessi, daughter ofi 1 Peter Dalliessi; by Patrick Thomas? • Kane, a labourer, who said he told the< • police that the accused had stabbed a/ I man and he was present when a knife/ r was- taken from the accused.

Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart/ said he searched the accused outside; the New Zealander Hotel and found the pocket knife (produced) in the right-hand pocket of his suit coat. Later he interviewed the accused in the presence of an interpreter. The accused said that four men had attacked him and he had used a knife: to protect himself. He then denied

that he had used the pocket knife or any other knife. He also denied threatening Mrs Zavoreo and assaulting Shepherd. He said that Mrs Zavoreo

*had promised to marry him, had given him up and had gone with another Italian.