One must accept ‘a bit of lip,’ says Judge
A schoolboy, aged 11, was admitted to hospital for overnight observation after being struck on the face by a man, aged 47, who took exception to being called “a dummy” by the boy, said Sergeant W. P. Creasey in the District Court yesterday. Gerritt Hendrikus Tork, a toolmaker (Mr J. Knowles), was convicted by Judge Bradford of assaulting the boy on November 10. He was fined $lOO. The Judge said one must be prepared these days to accept “a bit of lip” occasionally from young people. However, the defendant lost control and reacted to the situation in a bad way. Sergeant Creasey said Tork was reversing out of a car park, narrowly missing the schoolboy, who was on a bicycle. The boy had called out, labelling the defendant “a dummy.” Tork drove after the boy,
caught him, and hit him twice with a closed fist on the side of the head saying “now who’s a dummy?” As a result of the assault, the boy suffered bruising, dizzy spells, and nausea and was admitted to hospital overnight for observation, said Sergeant Cressey. Tork asserted that in addition to taking exception to being called a dummy, the complainant had kicked his car. Mr Knowles said his client was normally a mildmannered person and what he did was out of character. Tork, he said, contended the boy had called him a “bloody dummy.” When Mr Knowles said his client disputed hitting the boy with his closed fist, Sergeant Creasey said evidence could be called to determine this. Tork then said he could involuntarily have closed his hand when he hit the complainant.
THEFT CHARGE A man charged with stealing a mounted, life-size brown bear was remanded without plea to December 21. Dirk Daniel Evers, aged 22, a sawmill hand, is charged with committing the offence on October 14. The bear, valued at $3OOO, is the property of Kenneth James Antiques. CHARGE DENIED The owner of a German shepherd dog which allegedly attacked a woman on October 8 denied the charge. Richard lan Finch, aged 26, a labourer, was remanded to January 17 for a defended hearing. TRAFFIC CHARGES Two brothers who appeared on charges arising out of an incident involving a traffic officer on Monday night were remanded on bail to December 21. Anthony Walker Davis,
aged 19, a labourer, is charged with failing to stop when signalled to do so by a traffic officer, driving when not the holder of a driver’s licence, threatening to kill the officer, and escaping from his custody. Kevin Victor Davis, aged 20, a baker’s labourer, faces charges of intentionally obstructing a traffic officer in the execution of his duty, and using threatening and obscene language in Randolpp Street. Neither brother pleaded to the charges. CANNABIS CHARGE In a report in yesterday’s court news Paul Francis, aged 25, a fumaceman (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon) was said to have pleaded guilty to a charge of cultivating cannabis. He pleaded guilty to allowing the attic at his home to be used by his brother to grow cannabis. Francis was not charged with cultivating the drug.
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Press, 15 December 1983, Page 20
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525One must accept ‘a bit of lip,’ says Judge Press, 15 December 1983, Page 20
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