Traffic officers arrived during incident in flat

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 5

Traffic officers arrived during incident in flat

Two traffic officers who called at a flat in Shakespeare Road at 5 p.m. on November 5 about a traffic matter, arrived just after a youth had assaulted his girlfriend in her flat, and while he still held a knife, according to evidence given in the District Court yesterday. The youth, Alexander Lewis Gowans, aged 19, a labourer, after a depositions hearing yesterday pleaded guilty to charges of threatening to kill Ann Marie Chamberlain, assaulting her, and unlawfully possessing an offensive weapon, a machete, in circumstances which showed an intention to use it to commit an offence involving fear or violence. The defendant had originally elected trial by jury on the charges. Yesterday, after the hearing of depositions of evidence of prosecution witnesses, Mr C. A. Pilgrim and Mrs C. M. Holmes, Justices of the Peace, held there was a case

to answer to the three charges. The defendant pleaded guilty to the offences and was remanded on bail to February 25 for a probation report and sentence.

He was represented byMiss F. Bolwell. Sergeant G. C. Jones prosecuted. The complainant gave evidence that the defendant arrived home about 4.30 p.m. on November 5. He had been drinking. They argued and she went into a bedroom where her baby was crying. The defendant entered, and she hit him in the face. The defendant then hit her. Hits were exchanged and the complainant said she was punched on the arms, ribs and back. She went to another flat and telephoned her mother. Traffic officers arrived just after the incident, she said.

She returned to the flat and saw the defendant holding a machete. He asked what she wanted and told her to get out. She took her baby and went to the neighbouring flat. Traffic officer G. A. Eden said he and another traffic officer went to the flat regarding a traffic matter. He saw the defendant at the doorway, with a motorcycle glove on his right hand, holding a knife with its blade pointing up his arm. He also wore a leather wrist band with studs.

The complainant stood behind him, crying. She had severe bruises on both arms. The defendant went into the flat, and the traffic officers called the police after they had spoken to Miss Chamberlain.

When the defendant was told the police had been called regarding his assaulting her, he told the officers she hit him first, and that if he went “inside” she would

be the first he would kill when he got out. The officer produced in court a knife which he said had been held by the defendant, and a machete which he recovered after returning to the flat entrance when the police arrived. The two police officers gave evidence of answering the complaint and said the defendant abused them and Miss, Chamberlain. The defendant repeated his threat to kill Miss Chamberlain.

The complainant had marks on her arms, face, neck, and ribs. She was distressed and crying. The defendant did not have any marks evident. He was. belligerent, agitated, and angry and appeared to be under the influence of liquor although not drunk. The defendant had said at the police station, after his arrest, that he had had the machete only to frighten the complainant, a constable said.