Clash over ball leads to fines

Press, 21 October 1980, Page 5

Clash over ball leads to fines

PA Ashburton An argument between neighbours over a ball led to the hearing of an assault charge in the District Court at Ashburton yesterday. Laurenc; James Pithie, aged 48, garage attendant, pleaded _uilty to assaulting Barbara Joan Colgan and Trevor Neal Colgan on September 28.

Sergeant G. Kenna, said a ball had gone over the fence from Pithie’s property. Pithie demanded the ball back from the C.'gans, became abusive and used obscene language. Mrs Colgan suggested to her husband that the ball should not be returned until Mr Pithie asked- politely. •

'Pithie then struck Mr Colgan and grabbed his wife by the hair, Sergeant Kenna said.

Mrs Colgan climbed on the fence and grabbed Pithie’s hair. In return he tried to pull her over the corrugated iron fence causing bruising and grazing, the serg ant said. For Pithie, Mr P. Gregg said his client acknowledged the events although he believed Mrs Colgan grabbed his hair first.

Judge Hay warned Pithie there should be no more trouble. He found him the aggressor and fined him $75 for assaulting Mr Colgan and $125 for assaulting Mrs Colgan.