Man committed for trial

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 14

Man committed for trial

A Christchurch man was committed to the Supreme Court for trial yesterday when he pleaded not guilty to charges of indecently assaulting a female and criminally assaulting a female. The accused reserved his defence. The man, and the complainant, were both granted suppression of name when depositions were taken before Messrs. F. A. Gunn and K. N. Halley Justices of the Peace, in the Magistrate's Court. The prosecution called five nurses as witnesses. Counsel was Mr G. M. Brodie. The complainant, aged 19, a student nurse at Christchurch Hospital at the time of the alleged offence, said in evidence that she was approached from behind and dragged struggling for j “about a yard” when she | was waiting for transport 'after she had finished duty at 10.45 p.m. on February 17. The man put his hand over her mouth, and said, “come with me.” When she screamed and struggled, he told her to be quiet, she said. In the course of the struggle, during which both fell to the ground, his watch strap broke. He threw the watch strap at her, then ran off.

si She stood against the e! fence, and nurses came from y the spinal unit, took her iny I side, and called the police, ;-!she said. -I Another witness said she ’•[had parked her car in Ries’l carton Avenue just before [the alleged incident. The ac- ■' cused “walked over and aj stopped and stared at me. I 11 locked the car and went into ■[the hospital, and he walked [towards the complainant.” ■[ A nurse on duty in the s [ spinal unit said she looked 11 out the window when she J [ heard a “second scream.”! ’• [ She saw a girl lying on the [ ■'ground and a man over her ! [who “seemed to be sort of j hitting her about the face.” ; I When she and another j inurse ran out, the man ran .[away. I Detective M. W. Laughlin r said that he spoke to the ac- » cused at his home on Febut rary 18. The man denied f knowledge of a “serious atf i tack” on a nurse the previous night, but identified lithe watch face and strap the .[detective showed him. He ;[said he had lost it two days! j earlier, but did not know : where. He said in a police state-! ; ment that he had gone with; i his wife and young child to[ i,a friend’s place for dinner ?jand a few drinks. He said he! II ran off after the incident beI cause of her “resistance.” 1