‘Friends still despite broken bones’

Press, 30 December 1980, Page 5

‘Friends still despite broken bones’

A man broke his friend’s nose and fractured his cheekbone at a party but the two were still friends, said counsel (Mr M. J. Glue) in the District Court yesterday.

Appearing on a charge of assaulting Marshall Carruthers, Thomas Albert Waller, aged 34, a carpenter, was convicted by Judge Bisphan and fined $2OO.

Waller admitted the offence which occurred on December 27.

Sergeant W. J. McCormick said the two men were at a party at Sumner attended by a large number of people.

He said the complainant had been taken to a room and hit about the head arid face by the defendant. He had then been taken to a house in Linwood, but when his condition deteriorated he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

i The complainant was , found to have a broken nose : and a fractured cheekbone . and would undergo surgery, said Sergeant McCormick.

Waller admitted having punched the complainant twice because, he said, he had been seen taking records. Mr Glue said there were some unusual features to the offence. Both the defendant and the complainant were old friends and were still friends in spite of the assault. In fact, Mr Glue said it was not the complainant’s action which had resulted ■in his client appearing in court, Both men were under the influence of liquor at the time of. the offence although Mr Glue admitted that his client’s behaviour was quite reprehensible. ' DEPOSITIONS

A driver, aged 29, was remanded on bail to February 18 for the taking of depositions on a charge of burglary. No plea was entered by Malcolm Kakahi who is alleged to have burgled the Orbell Street premises of Wilder. Transport, Ltd, on December 20.

Kakahi (Mr J. S. Halls) is one of three, men charged with the offence which involved property valued at $127,000. Last week the police prosecutor said $lOO,OOO worth of the property had been recovered. STOLE SIGNS Darryl James Gillun, aged 20, a glazier, who admitted stealing four advertising signs, because he wanted to use them as wall posters, was convicted and fined $l2O. Sergeant McCormick said the defendant had been seen with the sighs by witnesses at the intersection of Montreal and Brougham streets at 3.50 a.m. on December 27. On being approached Gillun had made off with one of the signs, the other three were later recovered by the police. The signs, which belonged to three security firms and. a soft drink manufacturer, were valued at $l6O.