COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 8 November 1939, Page 9

COURT NEWS

DAMAGES AWARDEDWELLINGTON, November 6. Saying that his friends ca e d ffim "Al Capone” and “ Scarfac /’ nrl ,X Frank Karsten, a tramway coaduc * ’ peed 23 claimed £5OO general damaS and £l3 2s 2d special damages, in the Supreme Court to-day from the Wellington City was conductor on a tian when towards Island Bay on Maj * > another tram ran into the rear of L he suffered injury to his i 0.. e and eyes; but the main dispute ir' was the fixing of damages toi tn. SC The Corporation admitted that, the accident was caused by the of the motorman in the second ti . and a jury of 12, after retiring lot 25 minutes, awarded £lOO general damages and full special dama^ s - . The Chief Justice (the Rt. Hon. sir Michael Myers), in his summing up said he would not be surprised if the jury thought the amount claimed was not only excessive, but grossly exoroitant. If he were assessing the damages plaintiff would get only a very small proportion of the amount claimed. Plaintiff’s capacity for work and earning his living had not been affected. Facial disfigurement, was very much more serious for a woman than a man. CHRISTCHURCH, Novembe r <. On three joint charges of theft and (wo of converting motor vehicles James Mervyn Philp and William Lewis Philp were remanded to appear on November 13. < Michael Joseph Hanley was remanded until November 13 on a charge of being idle and disorderly and remanded also on a further charge, on which he appeared for sentence, oi. being found unlawfully on the enclosed premises of the Christchurch Police Station.

May Houston, charged with being idle and disorderly, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence it called on within 12 months. Her counsel (Mr Roy Twyneham) said that she was now in employment, and "he Magistrate said he would take into account that fact and also that she seemed to be making an honest attempt. to keep straight. PRISONERS SENTENCED. INVERCARGILL, November 7. In the Supreme Court this morning, Mr Justice Ostler sentenced the following prisoners:— Charles Henry Smith, indecent assault on a woman, granted probation for two years and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution. Reginald Cooper, 35, breaking and entering and theft, two years’ reformative detention. James Myles Ford, 22, indecent assault, IS months’ reformative detention. An application for a new trial, on the grounds that the verdict was against Ihe weight of evidence, was dismissed. DAMAGES AWARDED. WELLINGTON, November 7. Damages totalling £1875 were awarded by a jury in the Supreme Court, in an action taken on behatf of lan James Waterhouse, aged 7, who suffered permanent partial disability from a fracture of the left, thigh, when knocked down by a motor-car in Kilbirnie. Defendants admitted liability, the jury being merely asked to assess damages.