POLICE COURT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 27, 2 January 1931, Page 6

POLICE COURT.

SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT. Charged with assaulting his housekeeper. Florence McNally, by striking her on the head with his closed fist, and also with resisting arrest, Walter Anderson, of Rangitane, appeared before Messrs A. J. Graham and M. A. Eliott, J.P.’s, at the Police Court this morning and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. In outlining the circumstances of the case, semor-Sergeant Whitehouse, who appeared for the police, commented that it was a bad case. In response to a telephone ring a constable had ben despatched to Rangitane last evening where he had interviewed Mrs McNally, who had taken refuge with a neighbour. It had been evident that complainant had been badly knocked about. The constable had then proceeded to the farm of accused and had sought to arrest him in the cow-bail. At the request of Anderson they had proceeded to the house to lock up, but accused had then made his escape through a side door and, following a chase, had taken refuge in a creek and had refused to leave the water until the constable had struggled with him. With the assistance of the taxi driver, the handcuffs had been finally placed upon his wrists. -In June of last year, added the senior-sergeant, Anderson had ben convicted of having been found drunk in charge of a car. When asked whether he had anything to say, accused stated that the complainant had been with him as his housekeeper for the past seven years. He asked that a light fine be imposed as he was only a small farmer, that he had a few cows to milk and that there was no one to look after them. In reply to a question by the Bench, Constable Busch, who had effected the arrest, stated that accused was only in a small way and had 10 cows. It being considered advisable that evidence be taken from the constable in respect to the nature of tlie injuries suffered by Mrs McNally—th seniorsergeant having mentioned that she was apparently too unwell to appear as she had promised to do so—Constable Busch stated that Mrs McNally had shown him bruises above the temple, on the back of the head and on the left arm. In stressing the serious nature of the charges, the Bench announced that accused would be convicted on both charges, a term of one month’s imprisonment being imposed on the first charge and of three months on the second charge.