ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21362, 16 June 1931, Page 5

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

CHARGES AGAINST WILSON AND SAUNDERS ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. The case in which Thomas William Wilson and Rupert Saunders were charged with assaulting Walter Gabriel Rossiter with intent to rob him and with having intentionally done actual bodily harm to Jane Rossiter was concluded in the City Police Court before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., yesterday morning. Inspector Cummings prosecuted, and Mr C. J. L. White appeared for Saunders and Mr H. Baron for Wilson. Mr Baron said that to save the great expense of hearing the case in the Supreme Court Wilson intended, to plead guilty to both charges. He had asked counsel to say, however, that with respect to the charges against Saunders he (Wilson) had been in the room during the whole of the affair. . .... The magistrate: Would it not be better to leave any comment until the case reaches the Supreme Court? Mr Baron admitted that that was true, but suggested that it would be of assistance to the court to say that Wilson stated that Saunders could have had nothing to do with the assault, on Mrs Rossiter, , Mr White said that he had given the matter very careful consideration. With regard to Mrs Rossiter, there could be no charge against Saunders, and the-police were prepared to withdraw that .charge on condition that he pleaded guilty to the other. It was evident that Saunders had taken only a small part in the affair, but it would be useless, to claim that he had not aided, and abetted to some extent. Counsel had advised him to plead guilty to the charge with respect to Mr The magistrate said that lie thought that the evidence before the court was inadequate to justify proceeding on the second charge against Saunders, particularly in view of the statement by Wilson. The charge would be struck out. Wilson was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on both charges and Saunders on the charge with respect to Walter Gabriel Rossiter. Mr White said that he understood that the accused were to be sentenced on Wednesday. He would like to reserve the question of bail for Saunders if he were not dealt with before Saturday. The' magistrate; You may reserve the question of br.il, but I will not grant it.