Defendant in top hat

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32880, 1 April 1972, Page 1

Defendant in top hat

(N Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Mar. 31. An Auckland university student appeared in the Magistrate’s Court in Auckland on Thursday immaculately garbed in top hat and dinner-suit after earlier being stood down for his standard of dress. Stephen John Cadman, M®d 17, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to two charges arising from a demonstration outside the courthouse. He was charged with assaulting Constable Michael Goodison in the execution of his duty, and wilfully obstructing Constable Goodison.

When Cadman appeared to face tiie charges on Thursday morning he was dressed in an army shirt, white-and-bhie jeans, and tassel-topped boots. He was wearing a black beret and his face was painted in green and white stripes. From his waist dangled an army water bottle and he carried a toy machinegun and a round black object, labelled “bomb.” Mr N. M. Izard, S.M„ told Cadman he would stand the matter down until the afternoon so that he could change into something more suitable.

The Magistrate told him: “Get rid of your iron arid wood mongery?’ In the' afternoon, Cadman reforned to the dock, dressed in a black dinner - suit,: white shirt, bow tie, top-hat, and boots. After hearing prosecution imd defence evidence, the Magistrate found Cadman guilty on the obstruc-, tion charge and fined him $6O. Dismissing the assault charge, the Magistrate said the act appeared to be instinctive rather than one which showed an intent to assault