N.Z. SAILOR IN JAPAN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28950, 18 July 1959, Page 13

N.Z. SAILOR IN JAPAN

Prison Term Of Up To Five Years

• N.Z Press Association—Copynght)

(Rec. 11.30 p.m.) TOKYO, July 17. A 20-year-old New Zealand sailor was today sentenced to imprisonment for not less than three years six months and not more than five years by the Yokohama District Court for assaulting and robbing a Japanese taxi driver. Chief Justice Katsu Matsumoto, in sentencing Signalman First Class Richard D. Pearce of the New Zealand Navy’s cruiser Royalist said the attack had been planned beforehand. , He ordered that Pearce, who comes from New Plymouth, should return about £3 in local currency to the driver of the taxi, Hiroshi Suzuki, and pay Court costs. „ "

An appeal against the Court’s decision must be laid within 14 days. Mr Rokuro Usami, a defence lawyer Tor Pearce, told reporters he would confer with Pearce and New Zealand authorities before deciding whether or not to appeal. In evidence the Court had been told libw Pearce and another New Zealand sailor, had taken shore leave during the visit of the Royalist to Yokohama on May 24. That night the two sailors had taken a taxi. The Court was told that Pearce sitting in the back of the taxi loosened his lanyard and pulled it around the driver's neck. The driver, Suzuki, said he had been robbed of local currency worth £5 5s 2d. The driver said he had kicked open a door and shouted for help. The two seamen ran but Pearce was overtaken as a result of in juries received during the attack Suzuki received medical treatment for a week. In sentencing Pearce, Mr Matsumoto said he rejected the defence counsel’s claim that Pearce had been suffering a temporary weakmindedness as a result of intoxication at the time of the incident. Mr Matsumoto said Pearce had tried in vain earlier that night to change New Zealand currency into Japanese currency to repay a debt to two Americans he had met in a bar. He said Pearce had admitted that the other New Zealand sailor had mostly told the taxi drive) where to go. He said Pearce and the other sailor had agreed beforehand to attack and rob the driver of cash. In an earlier evidence the prosecution claimed that the assault on Suzuki had been made for the purpose of obtaining money for Pearce’s personal enjoyment Pearce testified that this was not true. He admitted he needed the money to repay a debt. During the trial which opened on July 1, Suzuki received 25,000 yen (£25) on July 10 as a consolation from Pearce. It was also revealed in Court that Pearce s mother would send £lO to the driver as a token of her apology for what her son did to the driver. Court officials said Pearce s trial was the speediest ever held in the Court.