ASSAULTED IN HOTEL BAR

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 12, 8 October 1921, Page 3

ASSAULTED IN HOTEL BAR

A CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. Tn the Lower Hutt Court on Wednesday, Peter Maloney claimed .£5O damages from J. S. M'Millan for an alleged assault. Plaintiff, in evidence, stated that on the evening of July 15 he wag in the front bar of the Central Hotel, I’etone, and defendant, without the slightest provocation came up and struck him on the eye. Witness told M'Millan to go away and not be silly. "As I sat down," continued plaintiff, "he made two or thjee more hits at me. Gregory, who was' in the bar at the time, told me to get up and get into him, but I said I was not going to get into a fight. The barman then came over and ordered ■ M'Millan outside. T went over to the private bar to speak to a man named Weir, and later I went outside. M'Millan accosted me in Jackson Street, and said: 'Get out. you big , I’ll hit your head off.’ M'Millan struck me again, and I was dazed when the police arrived.” Witness was arrested on a charge of insobriety, and was subsequently acquitted. He added that defendant had seen him later, and had expressed sorrow for what had happened. Thomas Gregory gave corroborative evidence regarding the assault in the bar. Defendant had called Maloney "a crawling ,” and had struck him in tha face. Maloney, who appeared to be quite sober, had taken it quietly. The defendant said that in the bar he had merely pushed Maloney, for which the barman had ordered h.im outside. In the street, as he was walking around the corner. Maloney had got hold of him, and a scuffle ensued. > J. T. Merrilees also gave evidence. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., said that each had had more than a sufficient, quantity of beer, and the affair savoured of a pub-lic-house brawl. M'Millan should not have taken the law into his own hands, and Maloney’s story seemed the more credible. Judgment would be for plaintiff for £1 10s. with costs J!3 4s. Mr. A. Pere appeared for plaintiff, while defendant was represented by Mr. G. G. G. Watson.