TANGLED LOVE AFFAIR

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 81, 29 December 1928, Page 19

TANGLED LOVE AFFAIR

ASSAULT ON YOUNG WOMAN

“NOTHING MORE THAN A BRAINSTORM”

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, December 28.

The full story of the tangled love affairs of a young couple, who reside at New Lynn, was unfolded at the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when James Alfred Essex Grundy, aged 20, who since his arrest nearly a week ago has been in the Mount Eden gaol on remand, was dealt with by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. Grundy appeared for sentence on charges of assaulting a young woman, and for having procured the possession of a revolver. Mr. Hall Skelton appeared for accused, who denied the assault charge.

The young woman was called to give evidence, but she collapsed in a faint as she entered the witness-box, and had to be removed from the Court.

Constable Boag stated that on December 22 he went to the house where the girl resided, and there met accused’s father, who pointed out accused to witness. Grundy had a revolver in his hip pocket. “As I approached him,” said the constable. “I said to him: ‘Surely you are not going to take life?’ Grundy put his'hand on his hip, so I threw him to the ground and took the revolver from him. It was loaded with four live cartridges. He said that he took it from his father’s place, and that it then had one cartridge in it. He said he put in three more. Grundy previously told me he would shoot himself. He admitted being on the girl’s premises.” Albert Victor Whiting, minister of the Congregational Church at New Lynn, was the next witness. He said he knew quite a lot about the affairs of Grundy and the young' woman. Grundy came to him last Thursday in a very quarrelsome mood ; so much so that witness said ,he showed him the door. . 1

“Grundy went into the room, slammed the door, took the key and placed it in his pocket, and taking off his coat told me to get the key if I could,” added the witness. “I am certain he was mentally unbalanced at the time. He has accused me of being unfair to him. I have tried since last September to part accused and the girl, who has been staying with my wife. I told Grundy he could write to her care of me, and I arranged a meeting with them, advising the girl to end it all. Later Grundy came to the house with a revolver. The whole trouble is due to the fact that the girl wants to break her friendship with Grundy. I think he should be placed under some restaint, or that he be made to keep away because I am afraid something will happen,” continued the witness.

Mr. Skelton said it was the case of a girl and a boy who was very infatuated with her. Grundy was a very sincere lover, probably too much so. His parents thought the two should be parted. Grundy was very sensitive and both he and the girl were neurotic. It was Grundy’s first love affair, and the whole thing was nothing more than a brainstorm. The revolver was now in the possession of the police, so Grundy could not get hold of it.

Grundy was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.