FATHER'S ACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22578, 17 November 1936, Page 11

FATHER'S ACT

DAUGHTER ASSAULTED INCIDENT AT PAPATOETOE FINE OF £5 INFLICTED COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE "We cannot have young women assaulted in this fashion ; the complainant was brutally knocked about," said Mr. I'\ K. Hunt, S.M., in the (Mahuhii Police Court yesterday, when William George Lynn, poultry fanner, of Papatoetoe, was charged with assaulting liis ]9-year-old daughter, Naira, by striking her with his clenched fist, and kicking her. Defendant, who was represented by Mr. Moody, pleaded not guilty. Naira Lynn said she had worked on her father's poultry farm up to tlio night of October 28, when she was assaulted. She told defendant that she intended going out that night with Arthur Kennel!, an employee on the property, and lie said: "Oh, no you are not." "He hit me across the face, and 1 told him he had no right to do that. Again ho hit me across the face and 11 g was swearing all the time," continued witness. "I ran to the passage door and he ran after me, grabbed me by the hair and pulled me all over the place. He punched me in the face and smacked me again and I ran outside. Mv father chased me around the bench and throw me to the floor and kicked mo twice. My face was bruised and J hardly knew what 1 was doing." Constable Intervenes Witness said that next morning she went to her married sister's house, but. before she left home her father again struck her across the face. She had been only a short time at her sister's when her father came in. She was in, bed and he ordered her to get up. When she did not, he pulled the bed-clothes off, but Constable Maloney stopped him and sent him from the bedroom. Cross-examined by Air. Moody, witness said her father objected to her going with Kennel!. She admitted that Constable Maloney had spoken to her about a year ago about coming home at nearly two o'clock in the morning. She denied giving her father "cheek," and did not defy him. Mr. Hunt: How has your father treated you before? —He has knocked me about before; about a year ago when he knocked me against the bedroom wall about four times.

A medical certificate given by Dr. J. J. Valentine, of Papatoetoe, was produced. It described the injuries of complainant when the doctor examined her on October 29.

Olga Lynn Aitehison, married, said that complainant arrived at her home on October 29 in an exhausted condition, her face being bruised and swollen. She could scarcely speak. Witness put complainant to bed and her husband sent for the police and the doctor. Mr. Moody submitted that the case did not warrant a conviction. He said that defendant thought complainant was becoming wayward, and he took steps to correct her. Defendant was entitled to use some degree of correction. Mr. Hunt: Are you asking 1110 to sithere and listen to tales of young women of 19 being knocked about? Defendant said be did not think that his daughter's attitude was right, and he had tried to chastise her. She said she would do as she liked, and he slnpped her face. He never lifted bis foot. Possibly be was too agitated, but he thought 110 was both legally and morally right. He had objected to his daughter wasting the employees' time. The magistrate said defendant evidently had a violent temper. He had not suggested his daughter was in any way bad, but had objected to paying his employees 2s Gd an hour while they spent their time talking to the girl. " Every citizen has a right to he protected, and I am not going to have young women knocked about," said Mr. Hunt. " I think she was kicked, in addition to being struck." Defendant was convicted and fined £5, with 12s costs.