"A GOOD MIXTURE"

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 4, 5 July 1926, Page 15

"A GOOD MIXTURE"

SEAMAN FINED FOR ASSAULT.

"I don't believe your story,' said Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate s Court on Saturday, when Alfred Christmas, a seaman, charged with- assaulting two married women, pleaded that he was too drunk at the time to know what he was doing. Evidence was given by the two complainants that Christmas entered the house on the afternoon o£ 12th June in a very drunken condition, and knocked one o£ them down and struck her several blows, while he* pushed the other forcibly against a cupboard and severely bruised her. Christmas had previously lived in the house as a boarder. He had not attempted to assault them until they tried to get him to leave the house. A friend, who was with Christmas prior to the assault, said that, the latter was in a very drunken condition, and had to be assisted along the street. .'Christmas, in the- box, - said he left his ship with £18 in his pocket, and started drinking with some friends. Altogether, so far as he could remember, he had had about twenty-five drinks in the morning, mostly beer, with some brandies and gins. "A very good mixture," commented Mr. Riddell. , , , Continuing, Christmas said that he had been told he had ten more drinks later on. He could not remember anything o£ the "You say you had thirty-five drinks, and you could still walk into the .house," said his Worship. "Yet you were too drunk to know that you v*ere assaulting these ladies. Well, I don't believe you. Christmas was fined £3 on one charge and £2 on the other, the default in each ease being fixed at seven days' imprisonment. .