OLD MAN ASSAULTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18629, 9 February 1924, Page 7

OLD MAN ASSAULTED.

SWEDE LODGER'S ACT.

DIVERSION IN COURT.

A diversion was created in the Police Conrt yesterday by an excitable and gesticulating Swede, who was charged" with assault. Mr. J. W. Poyuton, S.M., presided, and Mr, A. J. Stratford, J.P, was also on the bench

The accused was John Herrickson, and John William Cockroft (Mr. Sullivan) was the complainant.

I*, was stated that Herrickson rented a room from Cockroft, who was a chimney sweep, aged 83 On several occasions accused had threatened complainant, and once,had physically hurt him. The old man was frightened of accused, and' had applied to the police for .protection. This was corroborated by Cockroft in the wit-ness-box.

' "You're a liar," shouted Herricison in reply to a statement by witness. - ''Stand down, Cockroftj I will not have witnesses abused in thin Court," said Mr. Poynton. ; ' Herrickson vehemently protested his innocence, denying that he had ever threatened or struck complainant. He alleged that Cockroft had frequently abused'him.

4 "1 will give you one instance," he said ; turning to the magistrate, and becoming almost unintelligible from excitement; "he asked me to help him sweep the chimneys at the Koyal Hotel at halfpast two in the morning,, and I asked him what I would get for it. He said I would get a nice hot meal, and I told him I was not the sort to get out of my nice warm bed to sweep a chimney at 1 that hotel to get a nice hot supper.". In reply to Mr. Sullivan, accused said : "He is no more afraid of me than you are, captain." Later accused protested that he could hot get. other accommodation. "It may b* all right for you,, captain," he said, "but I'm a watersider, and it's hot so easy to get a place." The Maistrate ordered accused to leave the complainant's premises, to enter into a bond for £60 to keep the peace for six months, and to pay the costs of the proceedings, solicitor s fee £2 2s, and IDs witness' fee for complainant.