Taxi-driver alleges attempted robbery

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33514, 20 April 1974, Page 7

Taxi-driver alleges attempted robbery

A man who is alleged to, have attempted to rob al taxi-driver after saying he I was a New Zealand Com-] monwealth Games boxer, I was committed to the Su-1 preme Court for trial on a] charge of assault with intent to rob after the taking of! |depositions before Mr W. FI. ! I Small and Mr W. J. Hollo-i bon, Justices of the Peace in] the Magistrates’ Court] yesterday. ] Henry Rohan Frame, aged 27, a french polisher, pleaded not guilty. He is represented by Mr M. J. Glue. William John Henry Wood, a taxi-driver, said in evidence that he answered a radio call to go to an address in Knowles Street about 10.15 p.m. on March 8. After a delay, a passenger got into the car, and asked to go to Collins Street, in Addington.

The man, whom the taxi-driver identified in Court as the defendant, wanted cigarettes, and the taxi stopped at a hamburger bar. While the defendant waited to be served, the taxidriver could see him “shadow boxing.” The defendant had told Mr Wood tl’.at he was a New Zealand boxer at the Commonwealth Games. At first. Mr Wood believed him, although the defendant’s conduct made him think the defendant might have been punch-drunk.

When the defendant got back in the car. he said he had changed his mind, and wanted to go to Addington motor camp. There, the defendant spoke to persons in a caravan, and then asked to go to Stephens Street. On the corner of Stephens Street and Lancaster Street, the defendant got out of the car.

He returned to the car and told the driver some friends were going to Ashburton and would be there in a few minutes. Again he went away and returned, this time he hail a large piece of stone in his pocket. He got out of the car vet again and when he returned he was holding something, which he hid tinder his legs when he sat down. The driver could see tt was a

piece of sharp u’ood, and when Ihe commented on it, the i defendant swung it at his throal and demanded “10 bucks.” Mr Wood denied be had that I amount, and the defendant said Ihe would settle for two. i Mr Wood managed to grab I the defendant's wrist and make | him drop the stick. The ’defendant grabbed the driver’s I radio-telephone handpiece to break the cord. The driver j punched him in the face, and 'kept hitting him until he let •go. The defendant tried to (retaliate, and Mr Wood* pushed • him out of the car. Mr Wood called for help on his radio-telephone and pursued the defendant. He was found in a car yard, lying on the ground, by Mr Wood and four other taxi-drivers who had arrived to help.