TWELVE MONTHS’ HARD

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8186, 30 July 1912, Page 1

TWELVE MONTHS’ HARD

ASSAULTING THE POLICE NEGLECT OF WARNINGS LEADS TO GAOL. »18S ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, July 2D. The warning recently issued by Mr Cutten, S.M., that in future any case of assaulting a policeman in the course of his duty would be severely dealt with, was not taken to heart by Thomas Henry Parker, who, in consequence, was this morning sentenced to twelve months’ hard labor.

The circumstances preceding Parker’s arrest arose shortly before ten o’clock on Saturday night, at Newmarket. T. H. Parker and his brother William went into the Newmarket Hotel, and on account of previous misconduct, together with their then unsober condition, the licensee requested them to leave. They created a disturbance, and a constable was sent for. Ho took William Parker out of the hotel, while friends were prevailing upon Tom to go quietly away. They were given a chance to get home, but Tom persisted in calling out obscene language. Then Constable Goddard went to arrest him, and. he intimated that he would give the policeman “•* ago for it.” He made some efforts to do so, but was himself thrown to the ground, with his captor on top. Hero William came to the rescue by dealing the constable some heavy blows from the rear and endeavouring to choke him off his brother. .Other policemen came up, whereon William retired to the crowd, but kept inciting his brother tb continue resistance till ho was searched out and taken in hand also.

Both men pleaded guilty this morning to charges of resistance und assault. The record against Thomas Parker contained three previous convictions for assaulting policemen, while his brother’s record contained nothing previously: of the kind. Mr Cuttea stated that T. H. Parker’s record .was one of assaulting policemen, using obscene language, and other like offences, and he would bo sentenced to twelve months’ hard labor. Though'^William Parker’s conduct on this occasion was probably worse than his brother’s he had not previously been convicted for that kind of offence, 1 and ho would be treated leniently by being sentenced to two months’ hard labor.