MAORI BOY ASSAULTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21727, 16 February 1934, Page 15

MAORI BOY ASSAULTED

OFFENDER SENT TO GAOL COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE [bv telegk.vph—r It ESS association] HAWERA. Thursday "The police allegation that Charlie Tonga is a bully is apparently justified, and apparently he is a drunken bully, too,'' said Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Hawera Police Court yesterday in sentencing Tonga to one month s imprisonment for assaulting Dick Penta. an eight-year-old Maori boy. Tonga pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Henry said the case might be one of aggravated assault, in view of the boy's age. On January 22, when the boy was going a message, defendantcaught hold of him, picked him up and let him drop. Tonga'also kicked the boy while he was on the ground and dropped him on to the ground several times.

The boy said that on the evening in question Tonga came along to where he was and pushed him into some tea-tree and boxthorn. AVhile he was lying on the ground, Tonga picked him up and threw him down "100 time's." Tonga threatened to break witness' jaw and actually did punch him on' the nose. Tonga also tried to break his arm. Witness later went*with his father to Constable Piclgeon and a doctor. 1 lie boy denied pushing Tonga's boy into a dam or taking sixpence from him. Dr. W. M. Thomson detailed the lad s injuries, which, he thought, could not have been caused by a fall. Tonga, giving his version of the affair, said that on January 22 he gave his boy sixpence. The boy returned home dirty and told him that /'Dick" had taken the sixpence and pushed him m a swamp. Tonga said he had had only two drinks when he chased Dick, who fell over. He picked the boy up and spanked him, but did not kick or drop him. He denied that he was the bully of Normanbv. ' In his cross-examination of Tonga, the police sergeant produced a list of convictions. .. "1 have warned Tonga before, said the magistrate. "Now the only thing to do is to inflict a term, of imprisonment. '