POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15944, 15 June 1915, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

UNEXPECTED ASSAULT.

MAN WITH A RECORD.

While standing at the intersection of Queen Street and Victoria Street on Saturday evening Thomas Tester, a city traffic inspector, was suddenly assaulted by a young man named Harry Graham. The inspector had given no provocation, but ho received an injury to his eye. Graham was arrested, and appeared at the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. D. B. Wallace and J. Trevethick, J.P.'s, charged with assaulting Mr. Tester. He pleaded not guilty. Thomas Tester stated that he had spoken to a young man man who was passing, and accused immediately rushed at him and struck him in the face. Witness had never seen Graham before, and with assistance held him till a constable arrived. Henry Lowe, a farmer at Aorangi, gave corroborative evidonceThe accused said that he had never seen the two previous witnesses till Saturday night. Ho was walking along the footpath, and was suddenly pushed on to the roadway by Mr. Tester. The latter pursued him, and attempted to strike him. It was then that he hit Mr. Tester. During the encounter Mr. Tester's wife cut his coat down the back seam with a knife. Sub-Inspector Mcllveney, after looking at the coat, showed that nobody could possibly have cut the stitches with a knife in such a short space of time. Sub-Inspector Mcllveney: When were you last in trouble? Accused: In Dargaville. What for _, Accused: Fighting. Were you in trouble before that? Accused : Yes; at Duuedin. What for? • • Accused Fcr fighting. You joined the Expeditionary Force, and left this Dominion ostensibly to fight for your country, but you were returned because of misco'nduct? Accused: Partly. I was not qualified to co on with it Sub-Inspector Mcllveney then wanted to know if accused was engaged in brawls in Egypt, and he replied that he was. He denied that ho was under the influence of liquor, on Saturday, or that he remarked to the constable that ho was pleased he had smacked out" two men.

The Bench sentenced him to two months' imprisonment. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. A young man named John Charles Connolly was charged before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., with attempting to commit suicide on June 6 by taking a drug. Mr. A. Moody appeared for the accused,' who pleaded guilty. He said that accused did not intend to take his life. He was a chemist, and had .emetics alongside him when he administered the drug. Sub-Inspector Mcllveney said that accused was addicted to drink, and the drug habit. On June 6he took one doso, and a doctor was called. He later tried to take another dose, and was only restrained by force. Ho suggested that Connolly should bo remanded for medical observa-

tion. , Accused was remanded till Friday.

MISCELLANEOUS CASES-

Three first offenders for drunkenness were each fined 5s and costs. One was convicted and discharged, and two, who did not appear, wero ordered to forfeit their bail, amounting to 10s. Noel Scott, whey made his third appearance within six months, was fined a similar amount and prohibited. George Scott was fined £2 for procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order.

Francis Hagan was charged with two breaches of prohibition orders. Ho was fined £2 and costs on the first charge, and ordered to come up for sentenco on tho other

Clifford Bennett and James Cromwell were each fined 5s for committing a nuisance. The latter was fined a similar amount for insobriety. Frederick Cain and Gertrude Parkinson were each fined 10s and costs for selling sweets on Sunday. James Rowe was fined 5s and costs for riding a bicycle on a footpath at Takapuna.