ASSAULT IN HOTEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 16

ASSAULT IN HOTEL.

FINE OF £lO IMPOSED.

CHARGES AGAINST LICENSEE

MAGISTRATE'S STERN COMMENT

A suggestion that witnesses for the prosecution had deliberately concocted a story to get him into troublo was made by Thomas Richards, licensee of Gleeson's Hotel, who appeared in the Police Court yesterday charged with assault,, selling liquor after hours, and opening his premises after hours. On the first charge Richards was fined CIO, on the second he was fined £lO and his licence endorsed, and on the third he was convicted and discharged.

" I believe that the last three witnesses have deliberately told me lies," said tho magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, after hearing the evidence. " Against, this, three respectable young men, ono an advertising agent, one a dentist and the other a watchmaker, have told me a perfectly believable story. It is like the bad old days when a man thinks he can get into the witness box and toll a pack of lies. It was a particularly brutal assault, even if Richards was under Ihe influence of liquor, as the young man is crippled in ono leg, has lost the use of his right arm, and wears glasses." The prosecution was conducted by SubInspector McCarthy, and Mr. McVeagh, who appeared for Richards, entered pleas of not. guilty to the. three charges. A Political Argument. Kenneth Douglas, advertising manager, said that at about 10.15 on September 27 he had two friends with him in his offico in the Strand Arcade. After some conversation a drink was suggested, and they went up to the hotel in Hobson Street. One ot his friends Crouch, went to make sure that it would be all right., and, with his other companion, Wilson, they were let into the hotel by the proprietor. He had not, known Richards before, but, with Wilson, he was introduced by Crouch. Crouch had only one drink and then left to catch a ferry boat. Witness and his friend remained in the bar and had two more drinks each. The assault arose from a political argument, Richards stating that he would have witness on, meaning that he would fight him. Witness had told him not to be so foolish, and was then advised by Wilson to leave. " As I was leaving the passage," said witness. " Richards came out from behind tho private bar and struck me several times on the side of the head, breaking my glasses Another person, Porter, then er.me from the bar and joined in. I had been knocked down, and Porter picked me up and threw me out of the door." Witness had sustained a cut on the head, two black eyes, a severe cut on the lip and injuries to the side. He had been attended by two doctors, and was away from work for a fortnight. Witness was perfectly sober, but he would say that Richards was intoxicated. Conflict of Evidence.

Leslie Wilson, dentist, gave evidence that he found Douglas lying on tho floor in the passage, with Richards standing over him and another man holding his left arm. " Richards and the other man rushed back to the office," he said, " and when I picked Douglas up he was practically knocked out. Two women came down, and one said, ' Don't hit him, Tom,' and Richards replied, ' I will hit him.' I assisted Douglas to the door, but while Richards held the door open Porter threw him out."

" There will be a striking conflict of evidence here," said Mr. McVeagh, in opening his case. The Magistrate: Yes, \ that is not strange. / "The licensee went to bed early that night," Mr. McVeagh continued, " and one barman left- before the assault was alleged to have taken place, and tho other went to bed at 10 o'clock. It will be absolutely denied that the licensee served drinks or assaulted anyone."

" I have never seen Douglas in my life." said Richards. "On that night I had been to my trainer's place at Epsom, and got home about 9.30. There were two barmen and two boarders in the lounge, and after giving them drinks and closing the bar I wont, to bed. These three men have deliberately concocted this story to get me into trouble." Corroborative evidence was given by George Jensen and Reginald Ivan Porter, barmen at the hotel.