“A PACK OF LIES!”

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4905, 26 June 1918, Page 5

“A PACK OF LIES!”

STKONG MAGISTERIAL COM MENT.

MR, BARTON, S.M. ON A WAIROA CASE.

It is rarely that a Magistrate makes such stron K strictures from +Vm Bench as Mr Barton felt ittobehi! duty to do in the course of a case at Wairoa recently. Simon Raffol, a native of Syria' was charged by the police with having on May 8, supplied intoxicating liquor to one Konuke Huka, an aboriginal native, in the prohibited district of Ngatikah ungunu. district for consumption off the premises. Sergeant Quinn prosecuted and Mr A. D. Lynch defended the acculsed. During the course of the evidence of the witness Konuke Huka, Mr Lynch asked if His Worship'was treating witness as hostile. His Worship: Most hostile; and addressing witness, said he did not believe a word witness said. , He had just told a pack of lies. t, The next witness, Arapata Winev ata, was also treated as hostile and at the conclusion of his testimony His Worship.remarked to witness: “You, like the others, have told a pack of lies.” —(Laughter). •» . - When the next witness, Pene Rongd, was being examined, the Magistrate also allowed him to be treated as hostile. Witness declared that Constable Torr had told her that if she did not give evidence in favour o‘f the police that defendant got the liquor, she would be summoned, and it would be the second time in Court. • (A statement was then read to witnets). Witness resumed!: The statement was never read to her, and she never made it. The constable here fell under the Bench’s rebuke for an ejaculation and making interruptions. Witness: She never made any statement except to refuse »to go to Ani Konuke and get her to give evidence. She did not know.. thaLshe made any other statement, in fact she did not make any before signing The -police offered to read the statement. His Worship > Oh, it’s no use; they have come here with a rehearsed story. _ . The witness: No one spoke to her about the threat Constable Torr made to her; she went on her own, no one asked her to go, and she had not talked it over. His Worship: And I tell yon, as I told the others, you are telling a pack of lies. It amounts to this, that Constable Torr ought to he out of the force or the witnesses in gaol for perjury. Miriama Pirihi, a further witness also treated as hostile, said the constable bad informed her that if she did not sign a statement he would arrest her. No one spoke to her about this case, before or since she got the summons. „ , , . His Worship: What awful -lying. Witness: She went to see the lawyer about the threats made by Constable Torr. 11. was to Mr. Lynch she went. No t~e asked her to do so. His Worship: fhe same story. They might as w»ii have had it typed out. . 1 His Worship said he was satisfied the witnesses had committed wilful and corrupt perjury. They all told the same story and ought to he in gaol for perjury. He would have inquiries made, and if the proper evidence could he secured they might have to stand before him on a charge of perjury. The information wuold he dismissed, hut he would not allow expenses to any of the witnesses. By leave of the Court five other, charges, based on the same evidence, " were withdrawn. , In doing so, His Worship said the police were justified in bringing the cases, and hut for perjury they would probably have had very strong cases. His Worship ordered the liquor seized to he handed hack to defendant i *