POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18090, 15 May 1922, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

ASSAULT IN A TAXI.

| TROUBLE OVER MONEY. | Charges of having assaulted a taxi- J j driver, Pearco Power, and a youth, Hugh i Smith, "were denied by Henry Matthews j (Mr. Graham) in the Police Court on | Saturday beiore Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M. | Evidence vas given by Power to tho ! etiect that on Friday aiternoon ho drove 1 a fare to Ponsonby. Accused came along i in another car, jumped into witness' car i and struck Smith, who was in the back seat. Witness and the other driver palled him off. When witness returned to tho rank and was making a, report to a cun- ' stable, ivcused bumped him with his head, | loosening a tooth. In reply to Mr. i Graham, witness said that accused had : been living with him for some time. Witi uess had received £50 from him as part j payment of a share in the car, and was , •to teach him to drive. Accused did not j : sav at Ponsonby that he wanted his money back. He did say something about " joyriding." Witness had offered ruin his j money back the previous night. He denied he had been having a good time with j accused's money.. | Hugh Smith stated that accused struck ' witness in the mouth, and tried to pull him out of the ca-r. .. . ; Counsel mid that Matthew!) had a little i j money, and got into touch with Power, j 1 who promised to teach him to dnvd and , 1 induced him to part with £50. Pcrvvcr j j took Matthews to his house as a boarder, j i and raised the board the second day. ' Matthews spent a lot of money in coninection with the car, but tho transaction ; 1 proved unsatisfactory. He tried to get. 'his monev back, but though Power had ! j promised'to return it ho " slipped Mat- , | thews up " repeatedly. . Regarding the in- , i cident at Ponsonby, Mr. Graham said that, ' Smith was a churn of Matthews, and had j hi little monev. Matthews was anxious, I that he should not get into Power s hands. , He had merely tried to induce him to go j i back to town. So far as the other charge ; ' was concerned. Matthews had asked for , ! a return of his money, as he was full up !of ic/v-riding," and an argument ensued, j j Power put out his hands, and Matthews, j I who had his hands in his pockets, think- , ling a blow was coming, put his head, 1 down and it happened to touch i over s < ' 3, \fatthews, in evidence, denied both i ! charges. He said he had no intention erf, : assaulting either complainant. He, merelj : ' endeavoured to induce Smith , i Power's car. The incident at the taxi : rank was accidental. i The macistrate said he did not. know j whether Matthews was going mad or nc/t. : but he must be put under restraint. On . ' the first charge Matthews was bound o\er , 1 in Veep the peace for 12 months, and , • on the second was fined £5 and costs

MISCELLANEOUS OFFENCES. Fdward Nolan was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for soliciting aim? in Queen Street, the magistrate nmnrkiw that it was better for him to be in shelter during the winter. For committing an indecent r, t 111 " street, Frederick Parsons was fined £6.