BRAWL IN STREET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23685, 17 December 1938, Page 7

BRAWL IN STREET

SEQUEL IN COURT SIX MEN CHARGED "AN ILLEGAL SCRUMMAGE" (Feb United Press Association) ' WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. A large gallery filled the back portion of the Magistrate's Court when the principal figures in yesterday's melee in the vicinity of Grey street appeared in the dock. The proceedings were not without humorous interludes and, during the hearing, two men at the back of the court were ejected by the police. Henry Long, aged 30, a cook, pleaded guilty to fighting and not guilty to resisting a constable in the execution of his duty, and not guilty to using obscene language. Ernest Sheridan, aged 24, a seaman, pleaded guilty to fighting and to resisting a constable. David Thomas Rowan, aged 26. a seaman, pleaded guilty to fighting with another person. George Ronald Dobson, aged 25, a labourer and motor driver, pleaded guilty to obstructing a constable. Leslie Patrick O'Kane. aged 25, a seaman and porter, pleaded guilty to obstructing a constable, and Norman Alan Millar, aged 28, a hawker and fisherman, pleaded not guilty to fighting and not guilty to assaulting an unknown person. The police gave evidence that an altercation took place in a bar, and two men came out to the street, where a general melee developed. Constable Guild arrested Sheridan, who appeared to be the aggressor. Sheridan gave the constable an uppercut and. in the presence of the crowd which had gathered, Rowan started to fight Long while the constable was holding Sheridan. O'Kane took the part of the man in the custody of the constable, and Dobson helped O'Kane in the obstruction. At this stage, a member of the crowd summoned police assistance for Constable Guild. Millar came on the scene just after the police arrived and twice knocked down a man whose identity was unknown. One witness, describing the scene, said the men were struggling by themselves apart altogether from the police. Counsel for Millar: I picture it as a couple of wing forwards outside a football scrum.

The magistrate: That is against the rules now. is it not?—(Laughter.)

Counsel: Yes—the British influence. Witness: I think representative Rugby people would not go outside the scrum to do what these people did, because they would immediately be put off the ground. They were more like centre-forwards.

Millar gave evidence that he had had a lot of V'quor and thought he would give the constable a hand. For that reason he struck O'Kane.

Long gave evidence that he left the court on Monday morning after being fined £3 or 14 days. He earned £l, which he intended to put towards the fine, but he met some men outside the hotel and was induced to buy drinks. He saw Sheridan and the constable at grips and was trying to be a good Samaritan to Sheridan. His trousers and shirt. were torn and he had to borrow a pair of police trousers to appear in court.—(Laughter.) He admitted that he was the cause of the trouble because it was only he who had the money. " While I am here, before I go," he concluded, "I wish you all a merry Christmas."—(Prolonged laughter.)

The magistrate dismissed the charge against Millar. Long was convicted and fined £2 for using obscene language and. on the other charges, he was convicted and discharged, the magistrate remarking: "Although Long says he was the cause of the trouble, he was not the kind of cause which should be visited with a heavy penalty."

O'Kane and Sheridan were each convicted and fined £3, and Rowan and Dobson were each convicted and fined £2.