GAMBLE’S NIGHT OUT

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 November 1927, Page 2

GAMBLE’S NIGHT OUT

‘BORROWS’ CAR—ASSAULTS WIFE

Out of gaol and into trouble! William Gamble, after spending fourteen days in prison for failure to pay a fine, came out last week, but temporarily returned. He celebrated his release by “borrowing” another man’s motor car on Saturday night, and by assaulting his own wife. He spent the week-end in a cell, and faced Mr AV. Meldrum, S.M., at the Greymouth Court to-day. He was charged (1) with unlawfully and without colour of right, but not so as to be guilty of theft within the the meaning of the Crimes Act, 1908, converting to his own use a motor car valued at £2OO, the property of Frederick Lovell Turley; (2) behaving in a disorderly manner in High Street. He admitted the first charge but pleaded not guilty to the second, conducting his own defence. Senior-Sergeant C. E. Roach said that on Saturday night Gamble went up to visit his wife in High Street, and to do this he took Mr Turley’s car from the parking place in Guinness Street. He drove up to his wife’s house, went inside, and started knocking her about. She ran into the street for protection, but he followed her and still continued to knock her about and to use abusive language. Afterwards, Gamble drove away in the car. As he got out, he was accosted by the owner, and arrested by a constable. The S.M.; He returned the car to the parking place? —Close to it. Gordon Wilson, of Omoto, stated that about 9.15 p.m. on Saturday he met Gamble in Tainui Street, outside Everybody’s tea rooms. Gamble .said he was going home to give his wife “the father of a hiding.” Witness, thinking Gamble might do his wife some harm, followed him, but lost sight of him near the Opera House. Witness went up High Street, and on nearing the house, heard Gamble and his wife having a row. He stood at the corner in front of the house for a few minutes, and Mrs Gamble then ran out into the street. Gamble followed, and “called her a few things.” The Senior-Sergeant: What did he call her? Tell the Magistrate.—He called her a of a woman and struck her several times. Cawley and myself held him, and sent for the police. The constable arrived just as Gamble was leaving in the car. Gamble: When I grabbed hold of the wife, what did she have in her hand? —I don’t know. I would not be sure. Are you sure, when she chased me around the car, she did not have a piece of iron in her hand?—l don’t know.

When you pulled me away from her, did you not see a tyre lever in her hand? —No.

The S.M.: Did the wife follow defendant out? —No. She came out of the back door, and he came out of the front. Was she speaking to you when he arrived? — Yes.

What did he say to her? —He just rushed at her,

Was she chasing him?—No. Did she strike him at all?—I did not see her.

Did you see him strike her? —Yes. With his fist? —He hit her with his hand and she fell over on the street The Senior-Sergeant: Is accused's wife a big woman?—No, a medium-siz-ed woman, smallei’ than the average woman.

Henry Cawley, who resides two doors away from the Gamble’s residence, said that at about 11.50 p.m., when coming home from working ou the wharf, he saw Gamble and his wife having a row. Wilson was also present. Gambles got his wife op the footpath, Wilson and witness went to her assistance, and the whole four of them were bn the ground, with the wife underneath.

The Senior-Sergeant: What were you trying to do? —Gamble had her by the hair, and we got hold of his wrists to make him let go. What was he saying to her?—He was calling her anything but a lady. My wife rang up the police, and the constable arrived in a few minutes. Gamble got into the car, and drove away. I told the policeman that Gamble had a little two-seater, and he went after Gamble. , Gamble: When I grabbed hold of the wife, did you see a tyre lever in her hand?—No. After it was all over youi* wife sent for Leo, the little boy, and told him to get the lever you bashed her with. Did you see her chasing me around the car with the tyre lever?—You were in the car then, and there was no hope of her hitting you. Did she have the tyre lever in her hand when she was on the ground?— No. In fact, I tried to stop the little boy from bringing the lever out. The Senior-Sergeant: It was all over when the tyre lever business came along?—He was in the car then, am? the constable chased him on his bike. “That is the case, your Worship,” said the Senior-Sergeant. “I would like to draw your attention to what Gamble told Wilson.” Constable Henrickson, who made the arrest, was called by Gamble, who asked: When you came on the scene, did you hear any bad language?—No. When I started off in the car, did you see a woman chasing around the car? —I saw youi’ wife running around the car, but I could not say whether she had anything in her hand. CHASED HIM WITH AN AXE.

On one occasion, when you happened to be passing, did you not see her chasing me around the yard with ap axe? —Yes.

In reply to the S.M., the constable said the axe incident took place about a fortnight ago. The wife was chasing Gamble with an axe, and was threatening to murder him. The Senior-Sergeant: Is she a woman who could defend herself against him without taking hold of something?—No, I don't think so. She is a just a little woman? —Yes.

Have you been called to the place before on account of domestic disturbances? —I was passing about a fortnight ago, and they called me in. Going into the witness box, Gamble said he took-the car with intention of taking some fruit home to his children. He knocked at the front door, and his wife said,- “Who’s there’?” He told her, and she opened the back door before opening the front door. She then rushed out of the back door. When ho came out again, she started to abuse him at the street corner. He went to the house with the intention of staying only five minutes. The S.M.: You heard Wilson’s evidence, that while he was talking to your wife, you rushed out and struck her, knocking her down?—l went to grab hold of her. What for? —To give her a dashed good shaking, for abusing me on the street. What was she saying?—l have done fourteen days in gaol, and she was slinging off about me being a gaol bird. If she had gone inside and

let me get away, the row would not have happened. Did the row start inside? —No. I never spoke to her inside. She rushed right through the back door and out on the street.

You heard the witness say that you called her “a of a woman” ?-— I used no bad language at all. Why should you want to batch hold of her and shake her on a public street? —She would make anyone wild. Why did you not keep out of her way? To get hold of her and shake her is not the way to do it. —If you were chased around, the yard with an axe —

You are talking about something that happened a fortnight previously. Gamble alleged that his wife had the tyre lever, but the S.M. pointed out that witnesses said she had nothing in her hand. Gamble: I did not strike her. I grabbed her, and she fell down.

The S.M.: Were there four of you on the ground together?—l don’t remember.

The S.M.: Cawley says there were, and that he was trying to take your hands off your wife’s hair. —That is probably correct, but I am very doubtful as to whether I was pulling her hair or not.

The Senior-Sergeant: You went there for the express purpose of giving your wife a hiding?—l did not. I never mentioned a word to Wilson.

He has sworn that in the box today.—l will swear that I did not mention a word to him. The fact remains that he says he was frightened you would hurt your wife, and that he went up there? —1 deny that I told him I was going to give my wife a hiding. He must have got that into his head somehow? —Yes. But when he got there, there was a row. You rushed out after her find knocked her down. As a matter ’of fact, you did go up and have a row, and gave her a hiding. So he was not far out in his little guess. The S.M.: Did you strike her at all inside the house?—No. Why did she rush out? —I can’t say. There was no row in the house whatever.

“Where is Mrs Gamble?” asked the S.M. The Senior-Sergeant said he did not sub-poeha her. She could take private proceedings against her husband if she desired'to do so.

Mr ’W., J. Joyce: I may be permitted to state that I understand Gamble has got a billet in Christchurch and is prepared to go there. If he gets out of the road, I think it will be to the benefit of all parties. He has been about here a considerable time. He started a business, but did not succeed. He received some money from the Repatriation Department. He has been drinking a good deal, and runs amok ‘ when he gets drunk. There is no doubt that everyone would like to see him leave. The S.M.: What work are you doing now? —Nothing, for the past three weeks. 1 can start at Christchurch on Monday, if I, can get away. Have you any private means or property?—No. The house is in my wife’s name.

What is the job you are going to? — Agent for an economic oil gauge. When do you propose to leave for Christchurch? —On Thursday, if I can get my affairs fixed up. The S.M. asked if any damage was done to the car, and Mr Turley replied in the negative. The Senior-Sergeant said that Gamble was before the Court last month for drunkenness while in charge of a motor car, and breach of his prohibition order. The S.M.: That was the occasion he was trying to crank up the car without any benzine in it? —Yes. Mr Joyce said Gamble did not pay the fine, and “took it out,” but gaol did not seem to have done him any good. When he‘got drunk he ran amok.

The Senior-Sergeant: This was his first visit home after coming out of gaol. He went home to give his wife a hiding.

The S.M.: It was not in his favour that he went home at midnight. Are proceedings being taken by the wife?

“So far as maintenance is concerned,” said Mr Joyce, “it is not worth while, unless he settles down.” “You have behaved in a way that renders you liable to a term of imprisonment,” said the S.M., addressing Gamble. “It is apparently not much use fining you, as you have not the means to pay. I will give you a chance to make good. I will convict you on each charge, and order you to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. It is to he hoped that you will profit by the opportunity given you.”

Gamble was ordered to pay witnesses’ expenses, totalling £l.