Alleged assault on constable; trial ordered

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 4

Alleged assault on constable; trial ordered

Grant Hamarama Maranui, aged 25, was yesterday committed to the Supreme Court for trial on two charges of assaulting a constable in the public bar of the Lion Tavern, Lincoln Road, on the evening of May 5. Messrs S. E. Boanas and R. C. Holland, Justices of the Peace, held after depositions of eight prosecution witnesses had been heard in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, that a prima facie case had been established. The defendant denied the charges of assaulting Constable W. M. Haussmann with intent to injure him; and assaulting Constable Haussmann with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Mr M. J. Knowles, who appeared for the defendant, made no submissions and reserved the defence case.

Sergeant S. D. A. Hooper prosecuted.

Constable Haussmann gave evidence of being called to an incident in. the Lion Tavern, in Lincoln Road, at 8 p.m. on May 5. He spoke to a group of five persons, including the defendant, in the public bar. They were unco-operative and refused to give their names. While he was speaking to the defendant another of the group “bustled” him and tried to pull him to the doOr. He turned to speak to this person and heard the defendant say: “I will give you something to arrest me for.” Constable Haussmann said he turned back towards the defendant and received a blow on the left side of his face, which knocked him to the floor. As a result of the injury he received a broken bone in his left cheek which required surgical treatment. He spent a week in hospital and a further two weeks off work, and was still receiving treatment. Constable Haussmann said that at £he time he was

struck the only person to his left was the defendant. There was nobody else in this direction for a distance of about 6ft (1.85 m Constable S. E. Sherlock said she accompanied Constable Haussmann after they had received a call to investigate a fight in the hotel. She was near Constable Haussmann talking to two members of the group while he was talking to anothet member, in the middle of the bar. The next thing she saw was Constable Hauss. mann lying on his back. She did not see who hit him. Sergeant R. G. Bunt said he went to the tavern to investigate the alleged assault on Constable Haussmann. The defendant was with four other persons in the car park. He denied assaulting the constable and said he had been in the cai park when the assault had taken place. The defendant said he had been in “a bit of a scuffle” with a man in the bar and had been removed from the bar by some of his friends.