MOTORMAN ASSAULTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21893, 31 August 1934, Page 16

MOTORMAN ASSAULTED

INCIDENT ON TRAMCAR "This is not an ordinary type of assault, as there were special circumstances," said Mr. Goldstine in the -Police Court before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., yesterday, in defending James Holehouse, aged 22, baker, who was charged with assaulting George Egerton Smith, a tramcar motorman, on Wednesday. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Inspector Edwards prosecuted for the police. Complainant, in evidence, said he had been driving a tramcar when he was struck by defendant, who alleged that complainant had started from a stop as his mother was in the act of boarding the tramcar. He denied that he had started without the conductor's signal. In his evidence accused said that as his mother had one foot on the back step of the platform the tramcar had moved off, with the result that she had fallen backwards. He had caught her and prevented her from striking the roadway. He alleged that the motorman had assaulted him. instead of defendant assaulting the motorman. The magistrate refused to believe defendant's account of the occurrence and said there was no justification for his action. Defendant was fined £2. An application for the suppression of his name was refused.