Assault over lost umbrella

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 6

Assault over lost umbrella

PA Auckland A District Court Judge yesterday criticised a man’s “cowboy mentality” in taking the law . into his own hands to deal with an offender. In the District Court at Henderson, Judge M. J. A. Brown was dealing with Ronald Alexander Hyland, aged 31, a machine operator, of Titirangi, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a boy, aged 11. For the prosecution. Sergeant R. D. Rees said Hyland was at a New Lynn taxi-stand on Saturday morning when two boys allegedly stole his umbrella, 50 metres away on a seat. ' “Hyland chased and

caught the boys, who then did not have the umbrella. He dragged them back to the taxi-stand and hit them across the face,” said Sergeant Rees. One of the boys seen after the incident by the police! had blood on his nose and I the corner of his mouth, the Court was told.

Hyland told the police: “I knew they nicked it (the umbrella) and I knew you would not do anything, so I .took care of it myself.” Judge Brown sympathised with the defendant, but said if everyone acted like that there would be chaos. Hyland was convicted and ordered to come up for sentencing if called upon in the next six months.