THIRD DEGREE STORY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 30, 4 August 1926, Page 10

THIRD DEGREE STORY

ALLEGATIONS OF ASSAULT AGAINST DETECTIVE

JUDGE'S COMMENT.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

PALMEESTON N., This Day.

At the Supremo Court, his Honour Mr. Justice Seed, summing up in a case wheroin . Hector Mark Perreau, aged 18, was arraigned on three charges of breaking and entering and theft at Levin, or, alternatively, theft alone, or receiving property knowing it.to havo been stolon, referred to tho accused's statement in the box that the detective at the police station at Wellington struck him with his fist and knocked him down, and then caught him by the throat to get a statement from him. "I have not the slightest hesitation in spying this evidence is absolutely untrue," said his Honour. "Such a thing is impossible with any police' officer unless ho is mad or drunk." Probably accused had been roading some third degree story of America, and had given the jury the benefit of something that he had read. Nothing had been said by accused about the knocking down incident when charged in the lower Court, and also it was strange that the detective, when, in the box, had not been cross-examined on the point. The jury were entitled to believe this story told by accused, but his Honour felt it was right for him to say such an incident was impossible in Now Zealand. If the jury disbelieved the accused in this matter it would help them in coming to a decision on the other matters.