NEIGHBOURS QUARREL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 104, 13 April 1933, Page 5

NEIGHBOURS QUARREL

SEQUEL HEARD IN COURT. CHARGE OF ASSAULT DISMISSED. At the Hastings Police Court this morning, before Messrs A. J. C. Runciman and J. E. Hall, J.P.’s, William Francis O’Keefe appeared as informant against Herbert Long to lay a charge of assault, Mr T. O’Dowii appearing for the informant and Mr T. Donovan for the defendant. Informant was a freezing-worker, said Mi O’Dowd, and defendant was a relief worker. Families named Richdale and Long lived next to the informant, and they and the informant had been at loggerheads for some time. The informant gave: evidence that the • defendant and Richdule were related to each other, and both were neighbours of witness’s. Richdale’s stock sometimes trespassed on witness’s property, and there had been some ill-feeling about various matters. On Monday evening, April 3, at about 6 p.m.. witness was cutting weeds on Long’s property, when Long told him to get out. There was an argument, and witness took the defendant by tho leg. Both fell to the ground, and Long held him down on his back lind punched his face severely. Witness lost four days’ work as a result. Eventually he was able to get up and go home To Mr Donovan, witness said that the whole of the trouble was caused by the defendant. He had never spoken to him before April 3. Long had tried to prevent witness from taking away weeds that he was cutting for his cow. He had obtained written permission to cut the weeds. Corroborative evidence was given by informant’s wife anil son. Mr Donovan maintained that informant’s authority to go on to Loug’s section was not valla. (Long way the tenant of the place, and Long looked upon him as a trespasser. Informant made the first move, and he himself admitted that lie hud seized Long by the leg before Long touched him. Long feared an assault, and took steps to prevent O’Keefe from committing it. Mr O’Dowd answered that there was no justification for an assault which was so violent that the informant was pummelled almost into insensibility. Defendant had a serious case to answer. Defendant stated in evidence that the informant had struck him heavily on the head with a stick. To Mr O’Dowd, defendant admitted that he did not pay rent for the part of the section on which O’Keefe was cutting weeds. To the Bench witness admitted that the assault took place on the vacant section, which witness thought he hud the right to enter. I The informal inn was dismissed.