CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 29 September 1915, Page 8

CHARGE OF ASSAULT.

AN UNUSUAL CASE

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION AUCKLAND, Sept. 28

Judgment in an unusual case, in which a young man was charged with assaulting a young lady, was given by Mr Cutten,'S*M., to-day. The evidence of the girl was that defendant, whom she did not know, spoke to her in the street. She took no notice, and got a tram. The defendant got in, too. She got out near her home, and defendant followed her. Then she took to her heels, and on getting to the back door of her home she saw defendant at the gate. On these facts, defendant was charged with assault. The Magistrate said that speaking to the girl and staring at her in the tram was insulting behaviour, but it was questionable if it constituted an assault, but to get out of the tram and follow the girl at night in 'a' dircetion away from his home, to walk quickly when she walked quickly, and finally to rush, after her when she ran, made it clear that he was following her. Under the circumstances, that, in his Worship's opinion, constituted assault. The most favorable light in which his conduct could be considered, was that he had taken a violent fancy to the girl, and wanted to find out where she lived, in order to make her acquaintance at. some other time. Even at that it was grossly improper, and was the kind of thing that must be stopped. Accused would be convicted and fined £5 and 12s costs, in default, a month's imprisonment.