BLOW STRUCK

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32346, 13 October 1943, Page 4

BLOW STRUCK

OFFENDER SENT TO GAOL INCIDENT AT BUS STOP " OBSCENE LANGUAGE USED t One month’s imprisonment in the Thames gaol was the penalty paid by Raymond Edward Hill, aged 37 years, a Waihi miner, for assault while attempting to board the -bus leavingfrom Paeroa on Saturday evening for Waihi. On a charge of using obscene language at the same time Hill was convicted and discharged'. Hill pleaded not guilty to the assault charge but guilty to using obscene language. Messrs H. Hare and H. M. Shand, J’s.P., presided over the court which was held in Paeroa on Monday morning.

Evan Stanley Thomas, manager of Transport Ltd., Paeroa, stated that he had had trouble with accused when the ■bus came into Paeroa Saturday evening. When the bus arrived at Paeroa the people wanting to get on pushed forward and those wanting to get oft" were prevented from doing so. He had called for the people to stand back and all had done so with the exception of Hill who had abused him.

\Had Not Got A Ticket

After all the -passengers wishing to get off the bus had done so those wishing to join the bus were permitted, to enter but Hill had.no -ticket. Thomas stated that he told Hill that nolbody was permitted to enter the bus- without a ticket and Hill had used obscene language to him. He had gone on examining the tickets of passengers joining the bus when without warning ' he received a blow- in the right eye. After Hill had hit him other people waiting to join the bus held Hill to save further trouble. Constable H. 'E. Hollinshead said that he had received a complaint from Thomas and together with him had ' gone to an hotel in Paeroa ’ where Thomas identified Hill as the man who caused’ the trouble. Hill was. then -f aiguing with the hotel manager regarding change. He had arrested Hill and taken him to the Paeroa Police Station.

Accused when asked said he did not wish to give evidence. In Trouble Before Constable J. L. Brown stated that Hill had been in trouble in Waihi on April 9 for drunkenness while on August 28 he had been convicted at Hawera of ‘being dilmk and disorderly and for using obscene language. Hill was a returned soldier and on the past two occasions had been treated leniently because of this fact. He suggested to the bench that a short term of imprisonment would assist Hill to get a grip of himself.

Mr Hare in speaking to Hill told him that drink was his trouble. He pointed out that accused had been warned twice already and therefore should have taken a pull. The only way to help Hill was to give him a term of imprisonment where he would be properly looked after.