ASSAULT AND ROBBERY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 79, 3 April 1926, Page 4

ASSAULT AND ROBBERY

MAORIS PLEAD GUILTY

DEMAND ENFORCED WITH GUN;

• (ByTelegraph.—Press Association.).: GISBORNE, Ist April. A thrilling story was told in ■' the Magistrate's Court at Ruatorea yesterday, when three Maoris, named Ihimera Patunaua, Huka Takurua, ' and Manahi Nukunuku appeared pa a charge of robbery with personal Violence. The victim was a saddler named Albert Edward Orange. . . ■; '■'■' In evidence, Orange stated that after closing his shop at about 7.30 p.m. ..'on 27th March, he went to his,bedroom Hehind the shop. He had about 23s ia silver and thirteen £1 notes in his pocket. He lay reading until about &45, when he put out the lamp and went'to sleep. People coming ■ from the pictures woke him up, and'shortly afterwards he heard someone approaching, and heard a Maori call out, "Bert." The accused Huka Takurua had worked for him for about two months' at the beginning of the year, and during that time came to know witness as "Bert." He also knew what amount of business witness was doing. As far as witness knew, the only person who addressed him as "Bert", was. ijuka Takurua, and it appeared- to be/the accused's voice calling out. j Witness took no notico of the visitor-until he finally got tired.and called out to ask what they wanted. One of thosa^outside said something about a; saddle, and witness got up .and put on his' trousers containing the money. He opened the front door of the shop and saw. a Maori, who said: "Mr. Orange, I have a saddle for you to repair." ,The man went away to where three horses; were fastened to a rail, arid broughtl a saddle back. Witness examined the saddle and identified the one in Conrt as the same one. The Maori said-he had another saddle, and walked round to the opposite, side of the shop. '.'....' MASKED INTRUDERS. Witness was waiting for him to bring the saddle when two masked men walked in. One was' a . Bhort, - dart Maori with a mask tied over his face to the bridge of his nose. The other was a very tall Maori, similarly masked. The taller Maori had a double-barrelled gun with him, which ho presented at witness. The short Maori started fumbling about Orango's pockets,- and witness told him to "cut that gamo out:" The tall Maori pressed the gun into witnesses chest, and said:.'."Up: with your hands. Don't make a noise, -or I'll blow a hole through, you.- ' This is not a joke. We want money.'.'' Witness, to put the intruders off, said he had no money." The man^with the' gun said: "Grab him!" ■ The '■ shorter' one ■grabbed witness, at the same-time.giv-ing him a blow on the. mouth, bruising it inside and out. Witness struggled to prevent them from robbing him, and received another blow, this time behind the ear. It knocked him to the floor, where the same Maori put'his] knee loii. his chest and started to strangle Kirn, and witness became unconscious,. ■ ■ Upon regaining consciousness ihe crawled on . his hands and knees to •the door, which was. now shut; He went into the bedroom arid returned with a light, and found a pool'of blood where he had been lying.- He thenirealised what had happened, and a search of his pockets proved that he had been robbed. Later, witness, struggled to the police station and gavo a description of his assailants to the police. Wjtriess said he had not yet' recovered from the assault. Hehad not.beeii'abJe t'o.jvork since, and had not eaten anything. , Inspector Ec'clcs,, w^o- s w-aa at Buatorea at the' Wine, said a "constable reported the matter, to him-.;;AVOrange's shop witness found a popV'of bloody and boot marks round.it denoting;* struggle. Orange supplied' a description of, the assailants to-Constable Neale," and-this, from his. local knowledge, enabled ■him to name two of the accused at once.- Accompanied by two constables, witness proceeded to the Wenuakura Pa, and found Takura and Nukiinuku wrestling. Witness separated them; The . constables searched the house,' and found two double-barrelled guns. Witness.interviewed Patunaua, who made a statement and produced five and threepence from his pocket,, saying that that was his share of the proceeds. The accused admitted that the gun (produced), one of those found by witness, was the one used in the assault. Witness said that if it had been loaded it was possible that in the struggle' in ■ the. shop it would have been discharged.' The threo accused pleaded guilty'and were committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland ..for sentence.