REFUSED TO PAY FARE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 150, 31 December 1928, Page 11

REFUSED TO PAY FARE

TAXI-DRIVER ASSAULTED ' MAGISTRATE'S WARNING V ■ "In any. cases involving kicking, any man who appears before this Court runs I a very serious risk of imprisonment," was the warning.given, by Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in tKe Magistrate's Court to.-day. ■ The case: was - one in .which two : butchers, Harry Clifton, aged 28, and .Frederick William Parker, aged 21, wore.charged^ with ; assaulting; Kob Roy ,Tonks, '■. ■• ' .".;•'■'■•■.'' .'-■■.' .■■■•'•'■' ''■ ■' .;.'•'• ;. 1 Sub-Inspector Lander said the 'change arose out of an incident which occurred at about 1.20 a.m.; on Saturday.; Acting under instructions the complainant, .who was a. taxi driver,;; went rtoy.Ghuznee street .laud picked .up /four .passengers,; the;two accused and two young women. .He took '.them to. the ..Basin ; .Reserve, ami when: the-,;'passengers, got >.'out an argument arose, about the fare.. -It;was alleged that the. complainant was then assaulted.' ■■„..: '■■'■ :.■ '.;■;:. ';''Hv. .Giving evidence ,'tlie' complainant,' liob Hoy Touks,*:. said fi that the,, accused re-, fused:■ to pay an additional shilling, for extras which was not showing on the meter when they:got out. As they were going' away;witness gave one. of them a tap on. the, shoulder just..to show, his disgust at the behaviour. The. tap was in no way ty blow, 'nor was it intended to be one. . :;. .;; '- '■'?'■■:,-■■' '■ '■'■"■-V JPorvtho accused, who' ..pleaded-, not. guilty,. Air.' A. B. Sievwright: said that. a great deal had been made out of.' the incident. , Whatever. might be said,- it was quite clear . that .Tonka . Was., the original aggressor. -It was no new experience for. advantage to; be taken;'of male passengers when; accompanied >by women.' It was a world-wide trick,.and it seemed that this was'the case' here arid the accused 'ii-eseritod ;;it.'.- As. the 'party was going.'away Tonka'attempted to strike Clifton, but missed, him; and hit him* on the; shoulder. -Parker .got; in between them to 'separate them,; and Tonka then attacked;Parker and■ ;the two fell to the ground.: .Clifton attempted .to get them up,r and in doing, so stumbled over, them.' He had not kicked Tonks as ie had alleged. •".••■'. -"v- .-,-'. ■; ■In giving his decision the Magistrate said that he accepted the! evidence that the taxi , driver,; becoming annoyed "at hot receiving his proper fare, had pushed one of the accused. 'There was a 1 considerable body •of evidence;.. which imight: be described as : independent/ as to the-grriss assault on the complainant by the accused. ::Apart. from .the undignifled origin' of the assault, he; could not see what fairness there.'was in two men attacking, another '< man,. especially as tie was smaller than-themselves. ;He accepted the evidence, that .one. 'of;the accused kicked: Tonks; i HeJwould fine Clifton, who did the: kicking; £10, in ; default, two; months';, imprisonment, -and Parker'. &s', in default one" mbnth's im-'. ■prisbnment. Half'the; fines were; to.'go to the complainant ;■.■;/; '■"{}■ ',"■''■?■■.'•. .-.: ;'.', '■: