STRUCK WITH BOTTLES

Evening Star, Issue 20988, 30 December 1931, Page 6

STRUCK WITH BOTTLES

ATTACK ON CONSTABLE MAN AND WIFE CONVICTED The plucky way in which a constable stuck to his duty even after two beer bottles had been broken on his head was ventilated in the Police Court this morning, when Emmett James Hussey was charged with using indecent language, with assaulting Constable Simpsou while in the execution of his duty, and with wilfully damaging the constable’s uniform to the extent of £4 Bs. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Dorothy Hussey was charged with assaulting the constable while in the execution of his duty. She pleaded not guilty. Messrs H. E. Holler, J.P., and G. Stratton, J.P., were on the bench. Frank Raymond Hull said he was goiug horn© at about 10.30 on Monday night week, and when near the brewery in Rattray street he saw three men and a woman. A constable came along and asked them to move. Two men and the woman moved away, but one stayed, about. He was asked to move again, and he walked to the corner. The constable followed. Witness heard an argument between tho man. and the constable, and he heard tho man use certain expressions to the constable. A struggle ensued, and witness rushed down. The constable was bleeding freely, and after a while he overcame his opponent and struck him with his baton. The woman was interfering with the constable, pulling his coat and getting in his way. Witness held her and she kicked him, and he had to throw her to the ground. There were some broken bottles about, but he did not see either of the defendants strike the constable with a bottle. Constable Simpson said at about 10.30 p.m. he was on duty in Rattray street, and saw the two defendants and two men, who appeared to be drinking near the brewery. Witness approached them, asked them to stop drinking, and requested them to move on. Two men and the woman went away ; and Hussey stayed for a while. Witness again asked him to move on, and he said he was going, but he had a bottle of beer lying in the gutter. He went towards the corner of Rattray street and joined his wife. Witness followed. He again asked them to move on, and Hussey said they were not drinking and that witness had insulted him and his wife. Up to that time witness had not spoken to the wife nor offered her any insult. Hussey started to shout that he had been working overtime that day, and used certain expressions towards him. Witness proceeded to arrest Hussey and a struggle followed, both falling to the ground. They were there only a second or two when witness was struck a severe blow on the hack of the head by the woman, a bottle of beer being the instrument used, and the bottle broke. Witness was dazed, and ho got up. The woman then was hitting him with his helmet, which _ had fallen off. Witness pushed her aside, and before he had recovered from the blow, he was struck on the top of the head with a bottle of beer by Hussey, which also inflicted two wounds on his head. That bottle also broke. Tho blow stunned him for a few moments, and Hussey rushed at him again. Witness caught hold of him and threw him to tho footpath, hut he did not ,1180 his baton. Hussey got up, and witness drew his baton and used it on him. Witness struck Hussey, and that subdued him. Hussey fell to the ground among the broken bottles, and witness handcuffed him. The previous witness came to witness’s assistance, and was holding Mrs Hussey. Another man was close by and witness asked him to get a taxi, which arrived a few moments later, and after a bit of a struggle Hussey was got into the taxi and taken to the police station. Witness bled considerably from the wounds in Ins head and Hussey was bleeding from the lip. Witness had to go to the hospital to have his wounds dressed. He had been off duty ever since. Witness denied hitting Mrs Hussey on the arm and head with the baton. Ho also denied that lie hit Hussey with the baton while another man was holdHussey said she and her husband were going homo when two men called him. The constable told her husband to go home, and as he turned, the constable jumped on his back, ara while another man held her husband the constable hit him on the head with his baton. , , V 1 , Mr Holier: It does not sound likely, does it? . , Mrs Hussey said the police had a “ set ” on her husband. After the justices had announced their intention of convicting the defendant, Senior-sergeant Cameron submitted a certificate from Dr Evans, which stated that when he examined the constable on the morning after the assault, he was suffering from shock following lacerated wounds in the head which required stitching. Seniorsergeant Cameron went on to say that assaults of that nature were altogether too frequent, especially in that locality. Only a fortnight ago two offenders were before the court for a similar occurrence. Drink seemed to have a good deal to do with the trouble. The accused was a violent man, and of drunken habits. Ho had been given considerable leniency before for thefts and other things, but he did not_ seem to have profited from that 'leniency. The senior sergeant asked the justices to consider that class of offence seriously, because constables were compelled to go alone into dark streets, and it was rather fortunate for both the accused that they were, not facing a more serious charge. The defendants had a family which had been committed 1 to a home. An order was made against tho father for maintenance, but he had been most remiss in complying with the order, and was now considerably in arrears. Air Moller, addressing the female accused, said that he and his Colleague did not like the idea of sending her to gaol, but people who used bottles should be in gaol. She would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on within six months. Referring to Hussey, Air Aloller advised him to drop using bottles, as a man who used a bottle had no right to be at large. A man who used a bottle on another man’s head was quite likely to kill him, and the fact could not be overlooked that serious injury had been done to the constable. Hussey was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, and was ordered to make good the amount of damage_ to the uniform. On tho charge of using indecent language he was convicted. POLICE CONGRATULATED. Air Aloller said that he and 1 his colleague appreciated the fact that the constable stuck_ to his man even after being seriously injured, and it was good to see that the police were capable of handling that class of man. Constable Simpson had done valuable work in clearing up a street which had a bad name at the present time, and they congratulated him. Tho man who went to the constable’s assistance was also deserving of thanks.