TWO MONTHS’ GAOL

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1946, Page 7

TWO MONTHS’ GAOL

Attack on Ship’s Captain FRACAS ON GABRIELLA Charged with , assaulting the master of the s.s. Gabriella, Captain Alexander William Pert, two firemen, James Newton Keenan and George Fletcher, were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment yesterday when they appeared in the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth, before Messrs E. O. Henry and F. H. Denton, J’s.P. They were also charged with that they did go aboard the s.s. Gabriella after being warned to leave by the master. Both accused pleaded not guilty. Mr C. R. McGinley appeared for Captain Pert, and the prosecution for the police was conducted by SeniorSergeant R. C. Mcßobie. In stating the case, the seniorsergeant said the assault had been entirely unprovoked. Apparently Fletcher had served on a ship under Captain Pert, and had received a dishonourable discharge, which evidently rankled with him. Captain Pert, in evidence, said that about 1 a.m. on the morning of September 11, . he was awakened by two men bursting into his cabin, one of whom he recognised as Fletcher. He requested them to leave, but they refused and attacked him. In the ensuing struggle he took up a golf club with which to protect' himself. He called for assistance, and when the chief officer came into the cabin, me men were forced to leave. Keenan had threatened to kill him, and Fletcher said that he would “keep like corn beef.” V; In answer to Keenan from the dock, witness agreed that the threat to kill him was after he took up the club to defend himself, tout; stated that he had not taken it until he was attacked. Bernard Avery, chief officer of the ship, said that he heard the captain’s call for help and had found two men attacking Captain Pert. He assisted 1.0 pull them off, and to put them off the ship., When he entered the cabin the captain was sitting on the bunk, and was only defending himself. Constable L. E. Uddstrom stated that he was called to the ship at 1.15 a.m. and was informed by the captain of the circumstances of the affray. The constable located the two men on the s.s. Holmlea, where, they admitted having just come from the Gabriella. Keenan remarked that he would kill Pert if it took him all his life to do so. In answer to Keenan, witness said that when he arrived there was blood on the floor, but not on the captain, but the sleeve was ripped from his pyjamas. Keenan: “That was my blood on the floor.” In evidence Keenan said that he had accompanied Fletcher to the Gabriella to see friends. He admitted that the captain told him to get off the ship, but he had only one foot inside the cabin when the captain struck him on the head with the club. He stated that he had “got a bit made”, and had threatened to kill the captain, but it was in the heat of the moment. He added that he had no /grievance with Pert, but had merely accompanied Fletcher. In reply to Mr McGinley he stated that he was prohibited, and had not entered an hotel that day, He denied striking the captain, adding that he was behind Fletcher at the time. The senior-sergeant stressed the seriousness of the offence, pointing out that assaults on officers were regarded as serious by shipping companies'. Mr McGinley said that during the past month, the captain’s quarters on the Gabriella had been invaded on three occasions, the last time being the most, serious offence. Had the chief officer not heard the captain’s call for help there was no telling how the affray may have finished. ißefore sentence was passed Keenan said that he would like to bring before the notice of th e bench that offences of this type had been very rare during the war years, during which period the master of a ship was a sort of Caesar and dictated to the men, and then got a lawyer to state his case, while they (accused), had no one. He wanted the bench to consider both sides.