“DASTARDLY ASSAULT”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19456, 15 October 1937, Page 13

“DASTARDLY ASSAULT”

MAGISTRATE’S COMMENT ATTACK ON TAXI-DRIVER ACCUSED SENT TO GAOL (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. "The court has neither the patience nor leniency for dastardly assaults ol this kind ” The magistrate, Mr. E. C. Levvey. addressed these words to Mason Samuel Branch in the Police Court to-day. Branch, aged 21, a single man, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Horace Reginald Stokes, a taxi-driver. He was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Branch claimed that he had been drinking prior to the incident and was not responsible for his actions. “This is quite outside the ordinary run of assaults,” said DetectiveSergeant Holmes. "Stokes was on duty early on the morning of August 28. At 5 a.m, he received a call and picked up Branch, who wanted to go to New Brighton. Branch got in the back seat and conversed on various subjects. lie asked Stokes to drive into a blind street and the complainant was just about to stop the car when he received a violent blow on the back of the neck.

“Stokes was stunned for the timebeing and when he recovered he saw that Branch was out of the car and making for a plantation,” the detec-tive-sergeant proceeded. “Some time later suspicion fell on Branch and when he was interviewed he admitted the assault. His excuse was that he had been drinking and that he did not have the money to pay the fare." Branch, he added, was 21 years of age and he was receiving £1 a week sustenance and Cl a week for larm work. He Rad been before the court previously for theft. “This was a cowardly assault and it miglrThave had serious consequences.” the detective-sergeant remarked. “It caused quite a lot of concern among taxi-drivers, who have to ply their calling through the night.”