THREE MONTHS' GAOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 112, 14 May 1938, Page 11

THREE MONTHS' GAOL

"UNGRATEFUL SCOUNDREL" A ROTORUA CASE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' ROTORUA, this Day. "This is a very deplorable offence and. you are a very ungrateful scoundrel. You were walking along the road out of work, tired and>himgry, and this kind young, woman comes along and gives you a fide for 100 miles, and then you endeavour to interfere with her. Is that the only gratitude you can show?" said.the Bench,' Messrs. W. L. Richards and O. H. Coleman, Justices of the Peace; when "sentencing John Robinson, alias Desmond Halliday, aged 19, a labourer, of no fixed abode, when he appeared in the Rotorua Police Court this morning charge ed with assault on a\ married woman, of Whakatane, and attempting to steal £4 7s 6d in money, the property of the complainant.' V

The accused pleaded' guilty to the charge of theft and not' guilty on the assault Icount. He was represented by Mr. J. F. Keane. Senior-Sergeant" E. J. Carroll, outlining the facts, of the case, said that Mrs. Coburn was motoring' from Taihape to Rotorua, and at National Park saw the accused on the roadside. She offered him a lift, and after proceeding 100 miles and when' about a mile on the Taupo side of the Waiotapu Hotel the accused,'without warning, suddenly turned, off the ignition took the keys. In evidence, Mrs. Coburn' described efforts made by the accused to indecently assault her,stating that he threatened first to strangle her and then to shoot her unless she'consented to do what he asked. Realising the danger she "was ip, the witness played for time by attempting to bribe the accused with money, but without avail. Just as he dragged Iwr.from the car another car appeared, round the corner and the accused made' off into the scrub with the ignition .keys., He later appeared and said, "You\ Win." Hie motorist took the accused to-the Waiotapu Hotel. The police were informed and the accused was arrested and taken !to Rotorua. • . ' After hearing the motorist's evidence the Bench amended the. charge to aggravat'ed assault and sentenced the accused to fhree months' imprisonment. He was convicted on the charge of theft.