Vicious Assault On Young Woman At Hotel

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1949, Page 7

Vicious Assault On Young Woman At Hotel

(P.A.) NAPIER, This Day. The discovery of a young woman, severely injured and covered in blood in a bedroom at the Tarawera J-lotel, on the Napier-Taupo road, on April 3 last was described in the Napier Magistrate’s Court today. A 31-year-old bushman, George William Arthur Henderson, pleaded guilty to a charge that, with intent, he did actual bodily harm to Joy Corbett, aged 18. Joy Corbett, who was discharged from hospital this morning, said in evidence that she had been employed for the past nine months as a housemaid at the Tarawera Hotel, occupying a bedroom in a building about 25 yards from the hotel. On April 3 last she had her day off and stayed in bed. A Mrs Brown shared the room with her.

Temporary Loss Of Memory Witness said that she slept most of the m'orning. The last thing she remembered was when Mrs Brown came into her bedroom about midday. “I do not remember anything else until I woke up on a stretcher in a school bus,” witness said.. All that she knew was that she suffered head and face injuries and that she was admitted to the Napier Hospital. Vera Brown, a married woman, of Hastings, said that on April 1 she went to the Tarawera Hotel for the week-end. ghe occupied a room with Miss Corbett. She visited Miss Corbett in bed at 10.30 and at noon and she was then partly asleep and did not appear to have been disturbed. Witness returned to the bedroom at 3 p.m. and found that the bedclothes were off the bed and Miss Corbett was lying on the bed covered in blood. One of her eyes was covered in blood and badly swollen. Miss Corbett was in an unconscious condition.

Injuries Described Dr George Waterworth said that. Miss Corbett suffered from concussion. She had a severe black eye. An X-ray revealed a fracture of the left orbit veering round the left side of the skull.

Sergeant Euan Rippon said that on April 4 he interviewed the accused, who admitted having assaulted Miss Corbett. Witness read a signed statement by the accused to the effect that he went into Miss Corbett’s room about 2 p.m. He was under the influence of liquor. When she resisted his attentions, he lost his head and struck her several times. Henderson was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.