A BRUTAL ATTACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 16

A BRUTAL ATTACK.

MAN ASSAULTS HIS WIFE. SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED. “Guilty under extreme provocation,’ was the plea catered by John Edward Hynes, who -was charged before Mr J. R. Bartholomew. S.M., in the Police Court on Friday with assaulting his wife, Maude Amelia Hynes, on Monday last. The Magistrate took a serious view of the case, and sentenced Hynes to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. The accused’s wife was in hospital. Senior Sergeant Qnartermain stated. Her nose was broken, both her eyes had been blackened, and she ha-’ been kicked severely about the body. She would be discharged from hospital to-day. “This man has previously served three months’ imprisonment for assaulting his wife, ’ he added.

There are some exceptional features about this ease,” said Mr C. J. L. White, who appeared for the accused. Hynes was 33 years of age, he said, and he had a family of five children, tho eldest of whom was six years of age and tho youngest eight months. About 10 mouths ago his wife took proceedings for separation. She made ionic extraordinary allegations of adultery, but the same day sho said that all she had stated was untrue. And, furthermore, she put an advertisement in the papers to *hat effect. They had lived happily since thc~>. Recently when the accused went home his son told him that a man had been to the house. That night the accused’s wife admitted that “Mr X” had visited the home, and that she had co ’mitted adultery with him. The Magistrate: But no provocation would excuse a man mishandling his wife to the extent she was mishandled. Senior Sergeant Quartcrmain: That statement is different from the one the wife made to the police. - The accused threatened to leave the home. Mr White continued, but he and his wife had a reconciliation. Hynes immediately went up town and became drunk, and when coming near his home again he saw another man leaving the place. He simply lost his head then and committed the assault. Afterward he was sorry for what he had done, and he did his best to bring his wife round. Mr White produced a letter written by the wife in the hospital saying how sorry she was that the proceedings had been brought on. He (Mr White) quite understood the Magistrate’s views, but surely it was better in the circumstances not to send the man to gaol. The Senior Sergeant produced a statement by the Xvife denying that she had been unfaithful to her husband. The Magistrate said that the statements of the wife appeared to be unreliaable. Probably the accused had had real provocation for losing his temper, but not even that justified the gross attack he had made ou his wife. The nature of the injuries were such that the accused might quite easily have had to answer a capital charge. He would be sentenced to six mouths’ imprisonment with hard labour.