CHARGE OF ASSAULT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9820, 17 November 1917, Page 11

CHARGE OF ASSAULT

HUSBAND AND WIFE IN COUBT. A young woman named. Millicent Goddard brought an action in t the Magistrate's Court before Mr S. E. Ai.cCart.ny, 0.M.. yesterday against her husband, A.oc’rt George Goddard* for assault. Mr P. W. Jackson appeared lor th* .damtitf and Mr H. F. Cf .Leary for the defendant. ~ , e The plaintiff gave evidence to the et-;'s-cc that her husband, from whom siu ivas living apart* met her on November 4th and asked her to make an ap p ointment with him. for the following night. Plaintiff consented on the understanding that he behaved himself. In * thinking of the matter -UUer witness alleged she became afraid, and aid. not keep the appointment. On Monday night Goddard came to the house irr i aranaki street where she resided ano she consented to go out with him. The:> proceeded down Taranaki street and when in Ghuznee street plaintiff refused to agree to a proposal made by her husband. He thereupon, she alleged, ft truck her across-the head with a walking stick he was carrying at the time, destroying . her bat unci marking hei neck. Witness screamed, ran across the road to a woman who wa* passing a the time, and immediately afterwards a soldier and a constable appeared on th< scene.’ ’ Corroborative evidence as to the blow being struck was given by two othei witnesses. Constable Frost said he examined the woman's neck and the mark on it was very slight. Albert George Goddard said ho was a returned soldier and held the non-com-missioned rank of sergeant-major. For upwards of three years he had been on active service and during the iimo ho was a wav bis wife was in receipt of £l2 per month. Since his return ho hao received certain information ana had not lived with his wife. The. presen' trouble arose over their child, who was seven years of age, and whom witness had not been allowed to see since his return. He admitted that his wifb was struck with the stick unintentionally. While witness was talking to his wife ho was smoking a cigarette and twirling a stick and his wife was accidentally struck. It was a slight blow and she might as well say hc-c head was smashed ns her hat. The defendant said !v had commcnood divprce proceeding his wife and alleged that she was doing all ®ho cor Id against him. The magistrate said hs. wa-s not going into the domestic of the p-'" ties- Two independent witnreses-had given evidence that ther saw the blow struck. Anv man who struck a woman was coward. In ordinary circumstances he would have no hesitation in sending a person who deliberately struck a woman to gaol, and had it not been that the defendant had received provocation h* would have been committed to pr:«o« Tho defendant was hound over to find sur<*tics to keen the "peace towards hi« wife for a period of twelve months in a sum of .£SO and two approved sureties of .£25 each. Goddard was a’«o ordered to pay costs amounting to .£3.