TRIAL FOR ASSAULT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20323, 2 August 1929, Page 17

TRIAL FOR ASSAULT.

INCIDENT AT REMUERA. affair after a dance. PHOTOGRAPH RECOGNISED. Three charges of indecent assault, of assault so as to cause bodily harm, and of assault were preferred against Arthur Collins (Mr. Singer), in tho Supremo" Court, yesterday, beforo Mr. Justice Herdman. The charges arose out of incidents alleged to have occurred after a dance in the Newmarket Municipal Hall on tho evening of March 9. Tho Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Meredith, said that the facts were extremely brief. The girl who was tho complainant in tho caso was accustomed to go to a public dance at Newmarket.. On the night of March 9 sho met accused there and danced with him several times. She acceded to his request that he should see her home, and on their way he invited her to sit down in the open grounds round tho Remuora Library.

They sat together for a little, and when tho girl got up to go the accused caught hold of her and a prolonged assault occurred. She finally managed to get away with her face considerably damaged. The glasses which sho was wearing were later found broken at the spot where she said the assault had taken place. Tho girl was so badly knocked about that it was a fortnight before she was able to go out again. Other witnesses would say that they saw accused and the girl dancing together that night.

Tho Crown Prosecutor added that, when spoken to later, tho accused admitted being at the dance, but denied having seen tho girl home. The question for the jury would be whether it was possible for the girl to have, been mistaken about hor dancing partner and the man who saw her home.

The complainant, a domestic servant, aged 29, said that when accused caught hold of her at the Remuera Library she pot a shock and screamed out. Ho started hitting her on the face, and grabbed hold of her throat to keep hor quiet. They were close to, the street. When she got away she did not think accused attempted to follow her. Sho could not see out of her right eve next morning. She was perfectly sure that accused was the man she had been dancing with that night. In reply to Mr. Singer, witness said that she knew the accused's name the day after. He told her that he worked on' tho railway and was a single man. Mr. Singer: Who proposed that he should soo "you home ?—Witness: You do not suggest I did ? Mr. Singer: I do not know what they do at the Newmarket dances. Witness said she was sure now that the accused kissed her. When before tho magistrate, sho said sho thought lie did. When her mistress saw (he condition of her face next morning she told her mistress what had happened. On June 6 she was shown a number of photographs, among which she recognised one of accused. Evidence as to the injuries sustained by the girl was given by Dr. J. H. La wry, who said that sho "looked as though she had been through a prize fight." Her nervous system had been very considerablv disturbed. Tho case will be further heard this morning.