CHARGES OF ASSAULT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22833, 14 September 1937, Page 15

CHARGES OF ASSAULT

BIRTHDAY PARTY INCIDENT :/ r / ,i . GANG OF FIVE YOUNG MEN [bf telegraph OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Monday As a sequel to a disturbance at the door of a Stepney Place house where a party was being held, five young men were charged jointly in the Wellington Magistrate's Court with assaulting two brothers. They were remanded until Wednesday, the police explaining that inquiries were not complete and one of the/ victims of the alleged assault was still in hospital. , The men charged were Samuel John Barrett, motor mechanic, aged 22; Allan George Eagle, timber worker, aged 22; John Ralph Cairncross, glass bereller, aged 21; Edward Ernest Aitken, timber worker, aged 20; and Neville Edward Gandy, labourer, aged 22. They were charged with assaulting Noel Percival Richards and George Richards on September 5 so as to cause actual bodily harm. Mr. T. P. McCarthy asked for bail, pointing out that only two of the men in the box had been before the Court before.

Detective-Sergeant W. Kane opposed the application," saying that they had banded themselves into a gang and struck, people the head. Answering a question by Mr. E. D. S.M., as to the nature of the alleged assault, Mr. Kane said the five presented themselves at the'door of a house where a birthday party was being held, but were refused admission. Apparently they had had drink One of the victims was knocked out with a beer bottle and had to have five stitches in his head <jnd the o':her was still in hospit.il. Jhe assault happened at 1 a.m., though they knew early in the night that they ne , re not to go to the party. Mr. McCarthy remarked that Mr. Kane was assuming guilt. Bfil was fjxed at £IOO. with one surety of £IQO. in each case, the defendants to report daily to the police.