FIGHT IN STREET

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 153, 25 March 1938, Page 8

FIGHT IN STREET

Two Men Before Court At Napier By Telegraph—Press Association. Hastings, March 24. “It is dangerous to interfere in a quarrel between a man and his wife. This man's motive could not be doubted, but iu interfering he sought trouble and got it,” said Mr. A. E. Bedford, J.P., at a sitting of the Magistrates’ Court, Napier, ’when two men were charged with fighting in Carlyle Street, Napier. The fight between the two men, both hitherto unknown to each other, was the result of a domestic quarrel aud the two men, William Peck, motor-driv-er, and James Tate, also a motor-driv-er, were jointly charged with fighting in a public place. Tate was further charged with using obscene language. He pleaded guilty to both charges and elected to' be dealt with summarily.

With Mr. Bedford on the bench was Mr. F. J. Annan, J.P. Outlining tbe case, Sergeant G. Bonisch said that a constable was called to Tate’s house on Wednesday even-' ingto patch up a domestic quarrel between Tate and his wife. The constable succeeded in stopping the dispute, but later on in the evening Mrs. Tate left home and went to a neighbour’s house. Tate, who , was said to have been drinking during the day, met his wife at tbe gate, and in a quarrel in the street claimed he was first struck on the face. Peck came along at that moment and remonstrated with Tate, and a fight ensued. The police did not ask for any penalty against Peek.

The bench imposed a fine of £2 and costs on Tate for using obscene language and both men were convicted and discharged on the charge of fighting.