ASSAULT AND ROBBERY

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1931, Page 9

ASSAULT AND ROBBERY

TWO MEN ARRAIGNED TROUBLE IN A SHOP. ELDERLY COUPLE KURT. {Per Press Association. —Copyright.) DUNEDIN, This Day. Evidence of assault and attempted robbery at his jewellery and pawnshop in George Street on tho night of May 11, was given by Walter Gabriel RoeBiter in the Police Court ysterday. Thomas William Wilson and Rupert Saunders were jointly charged with assaulting Rossiter -with intent to rob him and that further, with intent to do grievous harm, they wounded and did actual bodily harm to Mrs Jane Roseitor.

Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., was on the bench, and Inspector Cummings conducted the prosecution. Mr C. J. L. White appeared for Saunders, and Mr H. Baron represented Wilson. Dr. Speight said he was called to Rossiter’s shop at 11.45 p.m. and found Rossiter suffering from a "wound in the tongue and abrasions and bruises to the mouth. His wife was suffering from shock, and the left side of her face had swollen to three times its normal size. The left eye was slightly closed. Witness said he applied a temporary dressing and sent her to hospital. He "was of opinion that the injury was in all probability caused by a blow.

“I shall be 73 years of age in December and my wife is- 65,” said Kossiter in hie evidence. His shop was on the ground floor. The top half of the door was glass and the lower half wood. His wife and daughter resided with him upstairs above the shop. Witness said he was in the shop about 11.20 p.m, on May 11, when a large window blind was disturbed. He opened the front door, but at first could not see anyone. There was a recess in the doorway and there, when he turned about, he saw a man stooping and saying, “I am very bad, I am very bad,” He was fully dressed and his hat was pulled well down over his face. Call For Help. . Witness continued that he said: “My good man, if you go home you will be all right.” He. no sooner repeated this than the taller of the two accused came and stood beside him. He sensed danger and attempted to draw back into the shop. One of the men put his foot in the door The two men caught hold of him with their hands across his mouth, but he managed to free his mouth and call for help. The taller man held him down while the shorter man went behind the counter.

Rossiter said he was still calling for help. The big man did not nse any brutal force to keep him down. The smaller man then came back, while Rossiter was calling out and jammed his fingers down his throat and worked them round like a corkscrew. Rossiter said he was nearly done. The smaller man said: “I’ve fixed them. They won’t bother ns.” He then wont to the window and within a minute the front door was smashed. When the door was broken in the tall man got up and Rossiter was released.

Witness immediately rushed through the doorway and found his wife lying senseless in a pool of blood between the foot of the staircase and the door. He spoke to her, hut she could not answer. Rushing upstairs, he tried to find the short man, but could not find him. “If I had found him I would have killed him, or he would have killed mo,” said Rossiter. His attention was then, drawn to the fact that the bathroom window was smashed. He went downstairs and found the tall man with Mr Vennall and Constable McGrail. Before the two accused visited the shop it was in perfect order. There would be about £3OOO or £4OOO worth of stock.

Screwdriver as “Revolver.”

Charles Yennall, watchmaker, whose premises are on the opposite side of the road from Rossiter’s shop said a man in the street told him murder was being done in Rossiter’s shop. He tan across the road and broke the glass in the door with a screwdriver and then unfastenel the door. Saunders was holding Rossiter down on the floor. Witness pointed the screwdriver at Saunders and commanded him to hold up his hands, which he did. Witness threatened to blow out Saunders’ brains if he moved. The police arrived shortly afterwards and handcuffed Saunders.

Constable McGrail gave evidence of handcuffing Saunders, who denied that he had a mate, and no trace of the latter could be found on the premises.

Detective Gibson said he was standing in front of Rossiter’s shop about 1.10 a.m. on May 12. Several people were standing about, and among them

was the accused Wilson, who was arrested later in the day, Wilson made a statement that he and Saunders entered Rossiter’s shop. "Wilson grabbed Rossiter by the throat and Saunders knocked out'Mrs Rossiter, Wilson bolted upstairs with a tray of rings, but lost them on the way up. "Wilson kicked out a plate window and got on to the verandah roof facing the octagon and climbed down a pole to the street. He went back to the door of the shop, but was pushed away by a. constable.

Both accused were remanded until

tomorrow.