HIT WITH MALLET

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1935, Page 11

HIT WITH MALLET

ASSAULT IN TEA ROOM An uproar in a tea room in Taranaki Street on Saturday evening had itsi I sequel in the Magistrate's Court to- ' day, when John Joseph Higgans,' aged i 36, a ship's fire man, was fined £3, in default fourteen clays' imprisonment, for' assaulting Jack Vlahovich, the proprietor of the tea Too'ms, with a mallet. "* . Speaking in broken English, and with a large piece of sticking plaster over his right, eye, Vlahovich gave evidence that at about 5.45 p.m. on Saturday tho accused and two other members of the crew of a ship in port entered his tea Tooms.' Tho accused had an argument with a waitress, and, uttering threats'to kill, picked up a mallet and with it hit a girl employee and then tho witness. Similar evidence, was given by Olive Lewis, an employoo at the tea room, and by Constable de Young. Higgans's voice was almost inaudible when he made his explanation to the Magistrate. "I'm satisfied that it was an unprovoked assault," said Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M. There was no need to attack the proprietor because of an argument with a waitress, he said. Tho Magistrate ordered that half the line should go to the injured man.