WOMEN MOLESTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 5 August 1931, Page 6

WOMEN MOLESTED

GREEK SENT TO PRISON BEHAVED LIKE A MADMAN 'By Telegraph—Press Association^ NAPIER 3rd August. “He bit, be scratched, lie screamed, and ho cursed,” said Detective Sergeant Fitzgibbons in the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when a Greek named Con Farfiti pleaded not builly to charges of molesting women, resisting the police, and being an idle and disorderly person without lawful means of support. After a. lengthy hearing Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., convicted Pavfili on all three charges. For being idle and disorderly lie was convicted and discharged; for resisting the police he was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment, and for molesting women to a further month’s imprisonment. The Bench recommended that the accused be given medical treatment. Detective-Sergeant Fitzgibbons stated that he had had occasion to warn Parfiti following complaints from women that Parfiti had followed them. In consequence of further complaints the witness, with Sergeant Daley, attempted to arrest the accused. “Ho began to resist.” said the witness, “and caused a lot of trouble. Ho gave me two broken ribs as well as a. number of bruises, and hit Sergeant Daley on the wrist. It took three policemen to convey him to the police station.” In the witness-box the accused, in answer to questions by the detectivesergeant, denied that he had attempted to stab a man in Wellington who. was run out of a Greek club there, and that ho was known to have been guilty of following and molesting women and girls there. Evidence was given by two women that Parfiti followed them persistently, and had spoken to them. One said she had. in an endeavour to rid herself of Parfiti, promised to meet him later. She afterwards had to seek the protection of a constable. The other woman said that she had to enter a shop. In convicting the- accused, Mr Mowlem said that he had no doubt whatsoever that Parfiti was the man who had been troubling women. Regarding his resistance to the police he considered that the accused hud behaved like a madman.