SHOW DAY INCIDENT AT HUKERENUI

Northern Advocate, 16 February 1938, Page 7

SHOW DAY INCIDENT AT HUKERENUI

An incident which took place at the Hukerenui hotel during the holding of the Hukerenui Show last Saturday was responsible for the appearance of three men in the Whangarei Police Court this morning.

William Johnson was charged with assaulting Tam Toki by striking him on the head with a stick, and with behaving in a disorderly manner; Edward Johnson was charged with behaving in a disorderly manner. and with fighting in a public place: and Coley Jones was charged with fighting in a public place.

The two Johnson defendants were represented by Mr R. K. Trimmer, and pleaded not guilty. Jones pleaded guilty.

Constable H. H. Smith, of Hikurangi, said that on show day, during the afternoon, a young half-caste Maori, Toki, approached him and complained that he had been struck on the head with a stick. He was bleeding on the forehead, and claimed that William Johnson had hit him. Johnson later said he had struck in self-defence. . Edward Johnson made a statement in which he said Jones had struck his father in the mouth, so he had struck Jones. He did not know that his father had hit Toki.

Fight In Progress,

Taru Toki said that at the hotel a fight was going on between Jones and Edward Johnson. The fight moved towards witness and he got hit on the head by William Johnson. Witness took no part in the fight. Mr Trimmer: Did he hit you hard? —lt was hard for the moment, I was not watching Billy Johnson when he hit me. My mind was on the two chaps fighting, John Dodds, an old man, on holiday at Hikurangi, said that William Johnson was trying to keep everyone off with a big stick. Toki was trying to make peace, and got hit. though he had given no cause. James Wittacker described what he had seen and said that Toki just got hit because he could not move back owing to.the crowd. Johnson was waving his stick about.

Moses Haora quaintly gave evidence that Toki' struck Johnson’s stick as his head came up. Sammy Shelford, of Whakapara, said he got hit by Johnson, and Toki also was hit. He had no ill-feeling towards Johnson, before or now. For the defence, William Johnson said that he spoke to Jones, thinking he was a man called Joe Shadlock, and Jones hit him, knocking him out. He then found that Edward, his son, and Jones were fighting, and if defendant had hit anyone it was purely accidental. There had been nothing intentional, and he had nothing against either Shelford or Toki. “Jones To Blame.”

Edward Johnson said he would not have come to grips with Jones if Jones had not hit his father.

The magistrate, Mr G. N. Morris, considered that Jones had been the cause of the disturbance. Edward, however, though he would be annoyed, had continued the fight too long in his opinion. William did not appear to have intended to hit Toki. In a fight, people naturally crowded round, and it was inevitable that William should hit some one when he was waving his stick round. His stick was a heavy one, and more trouble might have been caused. To indicate his displeasure of the incident. he would convict William on the charge of disorderly behaviour, with costs £1 19/3 and 17/6, and dismiss the other charge. Edward was convicted on the charge of fighting, and ordered to pay similar costs, while Jones was fined £3 and costs 10/-. A month for payment was allowed in each case.