ASSAULT ADMITTED

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 137, 6 March 1941, Page 10

ASSAULT ADMITTED

Man’s Medical History To Be Investigated

Stating that accused's- medical history should be investigated, Mr. Luxford, S.M.. ordered a remand till Friday when Cecil Robert Withers, aged 27, a mechanic in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, to.a charge of assaulting Henry George Shadlow at Wellington on March 4.

Senior-Sergeant G. .Paine said that 'Withers accosted 'Shadiow while hr* was walking across the tennis court on the fire brigade property nt. Brooklyn last 'ruesday evening, lie struck Shadiow in Ihe face, severing an artery over the eye, necessilating medical attention ur tile hospital. AA'lmn arrested. Withers said he was drunk, bul the constable who arrested him said lie showed no signs of drunkenness. "He seemed to be suffering from some mental trouble,” added lhe senior-ser-geant. "This is his first appearance before the Court." AA’ithers told the magistrate that he could not remember (lie incident, ns ho had been drunk and everything was a "black-out."

The magistrate: Bo yon mean to say that this man assaulted Mr. Shadlow without any provocation? Senior-Sergeant Paine: Yes, sir. The magistrate: 'There seems to be something wrong with him. How long has lie been in the Air Force? Senior-Sergeant Paine: Since the war started. The Air Force was notified about this matter and were to send someone here this morning, but no one has arrived. “I think this man s medical history will have to he looked into,” said the magistrate. “His appearance and the nature of the offence indicate that something is fundamentally wrong. I will remand thio case till Friday next. l,ut unless some cause is disclosed by a medical examination, this offence must bo penalized by a term of imprisonment.”