AN EYRETON ASSAULT CASE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16430, 23 December 1913, Page 9

AN EYRETON ASSAULT CASE

NEIGHBOURS’ QUARREL

HEAVY FINES INFLICTED BY AIAGISTRATE.

At the Kaiapoi Stipendiary Alagisstrate’s Court yesterday, beforo Air T. A. B. Bailey, S'.AL, Thomas and Charles Kevern were charged, on separate informations, with having assaulted John Edward Bennett, at Byreton, on December 9. The same defendants, with Edwin and John Kevern, were charged with a similar offence, on December 10. Air AI. Donnelly,: who appeared for defendants; pleaded guilty to all the charges. His clients, he said, were a father and three sons, hard - working, industrious farmers, who _ fancied they _ . had a grievance against the complainantOn December 9 the two brothers had improperly stopped the complainant on the public road, with the result that a fight took place. On December lo the brothers, with another brother and their father, had repeated the offence. Air Donnelly said he Leonid not justify their action. He pleaded for leniency. Air Grosson, for the complainant, said that the caso was more serious than had been stated. The complainant s 6tory was that on I>scember 9 the brotilers Kevern attempted, to step him on the road, but he got past themThey followed him on to his own place and made a combined assault on him, which came to an end only when Airs Bennett came out. On the second occasion the four men intercepted the complainant, who was driving a team, They pulled the leader round, causing the shaft horse to fall and throwing the complainant out into their midst. They then again assaulted the complainant. who defended himself as best he could with a spreader. . Counsel pointed out that the parties lived in a lonely country district, where one man was entirely at tho mercy of a number. No witnesses were called, but a list of the complainant’s injuries, compiled bv Dr J. H. Crawshaw, was handed in. "The Alagistrate said that a combined assault was a very serious offence. In towns this class of assault led to the formation of bands of men getting together for the purposes of assaulting people:' Many of these "cases were rightly dealt'with by imprisonment. He did not like to punisli people' of respectability in that way, but would inflict heavy fines. In the first case each defendant would be fined £2. In the second case, each of the four defendants woud be fined £o and costs, payment to be made within twenty-tour hours. - • .