NO GUILTY KNOWLEDGE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 August 1935, Page 5

NO GUILTY KNOWLEDGE

CASE AG AINST WALKERS’ DISMISSED. HOLDING PIGS IN TRUCKS. The. charge brought by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals against Messrs. T. H. "Walker and Sons alleging cruelty by allowing pigs to remain overnight in railway trucks at the Hawera, station was dismissed by Mr W. H. Woodward. S.M., in giving reserved decision yesterday. No costs were allowed the defendants. • The action was heard some weeks ago, and was brought on behalf of the society by Mr L. A. TayLor. Mr J. Edmondston appeared for the defendant company.. “Th© company was charged with causing unnecessary suffering by allowing pigs to remain overnight in open trucks,” said Mr Woodward. “The evidence of Mr Dumbeil was honestly given and in his opinion tlio pigs had suffered no ill-treatment at all Th© ease must be dismissed.” Th© magistrate added that a necessary elemejit in the. guilt of defendants was mens rea, or guilty .knowledge, arid there was no" evidence that the pigs had suffered cruelty from t]ie tretatment received. Where there was an honest doubt as to whether there had been suffering there could not b© mens rea.