CRIMINAL SESSIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21324, 27 October 1932, Page 14

CRIMINAL SESSIONS

' Midnight assault ft * QIRL ON LONELY ROAD MAORI FOUND GUILTY The' quarterly criminal sessions of the Eupreme Court were continued yesterday, when trials were conducted in both Courts, Mr. Justice Herdman and Mr. Justice Smith presiding. Arising out of an incident that occurred on the Pukekohe .West Road on the night of September 10, Patrick Karneri, a half,-caste Maori, aged 26 (Mr. Noble), faced a series of charges before Mr. Justice Herdman. The charges were of attempted rape, indecent assault, assault so as to., cause actual bodily harm, and assault, on a European girl 18 years of Rge. - /. . The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Meredith, outlined tho girl's allegations of having -. been struck off her bicycle and violently assaulted by accused. Karneri's explanation was that the affair was a pure accident arising out of a collision between two bicycles. Medical evidence in support of tho charges was given by Dr. L, J. F. Bull, of Pukekohe, who described various cuts and bruises about the girl's face and lips. Fairly severe blows appeared to have been struck. The complainant said that on the evening of September 10 she was riding homo on a. bicycle when accused, also on a bicycle, rode close alongside her and struck her on the head. She rode on, but accused caught up, and struck two blows that knocked her off her bicycle. She got up and tried to run, but he followed, and knocked her down. He caught her by tho throat and said if she did not keep quiet he would give her some more. Accused had warned her that she must say .there had been an accident. She stopped a motor- ' caa* and got into it. In cross-examination by Mr. Noblo the witness admitted that she was very hysterical that night. Constable C. W. Powell, who interviewed the complainant the next morning, said she was then nervous and excited and had various injuries about her face. When witness arrested accused ho said he had been riding fast, when he ran into a woman who had swerved in front of him. Mr. Noble, addressing the jury, said " that in certain circumstances at the dead of night on a lonely road he did not suppose there was a more dangerous living being' than a hysterical young woman. It was notorious how these delusions and imaginings took place in such circumstances. The girl's injuries were'equally . consistent with both stories and her evidence 1 in support of the most serious charge was uncorroborated. His Honor described the case as a perfectly simple one and explained the_ significance of the four counts in the indictment. > There were -various circumstances ' that the jury might think were corroborative of the girl's story—her condition and action? immediately afterwards, the physical injuries she suffered and the blooa on the accused's hand. The jury found Karneri not guilty of attempted rape, but guilty of indecent assault. The prisoner was remanded for sentence.