ROBBERY ALLEGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 39, 14 August 1940, Page 11

ROBBERY ALLEGED

INCIDENT IN STREET

STORY OF A TRIPLE ESCAPE

Joseph Eric Cornish, a motor driver, aged 28, was charged before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today, with robbery with violence. The chief witness was Lewis Bright, a tailor. Cornish pleaded not guilty.

Bright, in evidence, said that at about 7 p.m. on August 3 he went into a dairy near the Royal Tiger Hotel, in Taranaki Street, and purchased a packet of cigarettes. On coming out of the shop he was assaulted by two strange men, one of whom was the,accused. "One got me down," he said, "and the other went through my pockets. I called out for help, and a constable heard me and came to my assistance." The accused was the man that put his hand in witness's hip pocket and took 19s sd. When the money was taken he was down on the ground, and the two men were on top of,him. They did not speak to him, and he did not speak to them.

j Questioned by Mr. R. Hardie Boys, counsel for Cornish, witness denied [ that the second man had called him Fred or claimed acquaintance with him. CONSTABLE'S EVIDENCE. Constable G. R. Dickson said that when he heard a cry of "Police" he went to the scene and saw three men struggling on the footpath. Two men were on top of Bright, who was on the ground. He asked what the trouble was, and Bright said, "They have taken my money." The accused then ran away., and witness chased him and caught him in Wigan Street. He asked Cornish why he ran away, and he replied, "I just went to help the old man, and when I saw you I thought it was better to beat it, as I have just done 'time' and I don't want any more trouble." He took Cornish back to the scene, and Bright, pointing at Cornish, said, "You are the one that took my money." The accused did not deny this, but said he had a wife and child, and did not want to be mixed up with the police.

Continuing, witness said that when he took out his notebook Cornish again ran away down Taranaki Street, and witness again chased him, and after about a hundred yards, caught him. A struggle took place, the accused being on the ground in a gutter near a grating. During the struggle witness heard the sound of coins striking the grating. He pulled the accused to his feet, and made a search for the money, but was unable to find any of it. He started to take the accused to the Mount Cook Police Station, but as a result of something that happened on the way he handed Cornish over to a number of soldiers. Returning shortly afterwards, he found that both the accused and the soldiers were missing. He looked up Buckle Street and saw the accused going into Tory Street with tlb soldiers after him. The soldiers handed Cornish over to him in Tory Street. When arrested he had 4|d in his possession, and on being questioned later, said, "I just went to help the old man."

Cornish was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, and was allowed bail on condition that he report daily to the police. Senior-Detective P. Doyle prosecuted.