BRIMS'S BAD BREAK

NZ Truth, Issue 849, 25 February 1922, Page 5

BRIMS'S BAD BREAK

two Blouses and Two Girls

Two Years Gaol For Indecent Assault

(•From "Truth's" Dunedin Rep.)

Robert Brims, at the Supreme Court, Dunedin, was charged with unlawfully having carnal knowledge of a girl. 14 years of ago, and /with indecently assaulting the girl on the same date. — August 18, 1921, at Kuroitf- He was also charged with attempting to have carnal knowledge of the girl on August 25, and ,with indecently assaulting her on the same date. Accused, a storekeeper at Kurow, pleaded not- guilty, and was represented by Lawyer Han-

The evidence of the girl and her mate alleged that the offences took place at the back of accused's shop, and that lie had given each girl a blouse and chocolates*

Detective Norman Abbot, Timaru, said accused admitted giving blouses to tho girls for a dance, which they wanted to attend. He had also given blouses to other girls. He denied doing,anything improper.

Accused' stated that. on August 10 the, two girls came into his shop and asked to see some blouses. They examined some, but aaid they could' not afford to buy. Next night ihey came to witness's office and asked about the blouses as they were going to a dance. He told them to go round to the /shop and there gave them the blouses. He did i

NOT COMMIT ANY OFFENCES against the girls. They: were not at hie shop on the dates mentioned. , Evidence was given by W. C. -Grant and George Alexander, which went to show that the girls were not at. acr cnsed's shop on the dates alleged.

Lawyer Hanlon, m the course of his remarks, said' that anyone was liable to have such allegations made against him by a reckless pr unscrupulous per-" son, ' whether old or young, and they might, have., some motive for making such a charge. Where a man was a shopkeeper, it was very simple for such a- charge to be made, if he had a room at the <back,. or an office, or some building ill-lighted; One of the girls stated that on August 18 this offence had been committed upon the other girl, and that on, that night) he took the tfwo of them m and gave them two blouses. The jury must scrutinise evidence carefully to see that the. girls were truthful. The 1 other girl said that the blouses were not given on the night that the offence . was alleged to have been committed, and. the point was, was the offence committed on the same night?- The Crown said, Yes; and they said, No. The other girl said it was another night. Then they would re-, member what was 'alleged on the night of August 25." The companion girl said that the t\yo of them went around to the back and that the , accused hsked the other girl to stand on a box, and that she saw him having intercourse with this girl. What did tlie girl, against rwhom the assault was alleged to have been committed say ? She said that

THIS WAS NOT' TRUE — she was not assaulted that night. "He; never touched me any more than he put: his arms around us," said this witness. "He asked inc . <-o get on the box,, and I would' not do it." Was the jury going tp believe the little girl who was looking" on, and disbelieve the little girl who said she was 'not assaulted? . - v ••:•

Crown -Prosecutor F. R. Adams asked the jury where was the motive for trumping up these charges. He gave them, two blouses, and never injured them m any iway, so he said; . and. yet the girls came there and told their story. „-•-'■ ■'■':• ■•-.'

His Honor remarked that it was very hard to believe that accused , iwould make the gift of blouses to these girls unless

HE HAD DESIGNS ON THEM,

It was not suggested that they were good customers of his. The' jury. was asked to believe that , out of pure generosity and goodness/of heart' he gave these two blouses. If the jury .could believe that they could believe a great deal.;' i

The jury found accused guilty of indecent assault on August 18, and- not guilty on the other counts.

The prisoner was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labor.