“Bouncer” Cleared Of Assault Charges

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31197, 22 October 1966, Page 3

“Bouncer” Cleared Of Assault Charges

"The Press" Special Service

After a retirement of only 10 minutes a jury in the Supreme Court at Auckland yesterday acquitted a man described by the Crown prosecutor as a hotel “chucker-out or bouncer” of charges concerning a man he had had to put off the premises.

Keith John Chantry, aged 28, bacon curer and part-time hotel lounge attendant, was found not guilty of injuring Neville George Moran, aged 59, in such circumstances that if death had been caused he would have been guilty of manslaughter. He was also found not guilty of an alternative charge of assault.

Mr Justice Gresson had indicated that the medical evidence was not sufficient for the jury to convict Chantry on the first charge, which, he told them, had for all practical purposes been abandoned. Evidence had earlier been given that Mr Moran was unconscious for several days in Auckland Hospital after the incident outside the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Symonds street, Auckland.

He had a long linear fracture of the skull and there was bleeding into the brain fluid. Chantry, who pleaded not guilty, said he punched Mr

AUCKLAND, October 21

Moran once after Mr Moran had kicked him and tried several times to get back into the hotel. Dr. Donald Dixon McKenzie, neuro-surgeon, called by the defence, said there was left some doubt as to whether Mr Moran had had a stroke due to sub-arachnoid bleeding or due to a heavy blow.

He, the neuro-surgeon who saw Mr Moran and the registrar in charge of the case, however, all thought the bleeding was the likely reason rather than the heavy blow he must have received to fracture the skull. Mr P. A. Williams, for Chantry: The bleeding could result from an aneurysm.” Dr. McKenzie: Yes, that is one possibility.

Mr Williams: And it is clear that an aneurysm is not caused by external violence? —Oh, no. Dr. McKenzie said he did not think that the skull fracture could have been caused by a blow with a fist. Mr D. Morris appeared for the Crown.