CHARGES HEARD AT MATAURA

Southland Times, Issue 25690, 5 June 1945, Page 8

CHARGES HEARD AT MATAURA

INCIDENT AT WELCOME HOME SOCIAL A warning against the use of obscene language was given by the Magistrate (Mr R. C. Abernethy) at a special sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Mataura, when William George McLeod, an employee of the Mataura paper mills, was convicted and fined £2, costs 3/-, on a charge of using obscene language in a public place. He was also convicted and fined 10/-, costs 3/-, on a charge of assaulting Thomas Davie and convicted and discharged on a charge of disorderly conduct. The Magistrate said the circumstances of the case did not justify the action taken in a case at Invercargill, where a man had been sentenced to gaol for using obscene language in front of a girl in the street. In this case there was provocation, and the language had been used in the heat of the moment. In the charge of assault there was also provocation, and no harm had been done. The defendant pleaded guilty to the three charges. Sergeant J. H. S. Hogg said that on April 27, the defendant, who was a man of good reputation at Mataura, and who was married with a grown-up family, attended a welcome-home function for servicemen, at which his wife, a noted musician, was at the piano. McLeod had previously been warned that his wife had received the attentions of Davie, who was staying at the Bridge Hotel. After the wife had concluded her playing, McLeod had seen her in the cloak room in conversation with Davie.- In view of the previous complaints and the failure to stop the association, he had attacked Davie, who had moved out on to the stage. He had also used bad language. The defendant was a man of good character and an old resident of the district. Mr S. D. Macdonald, who appeared for the defendant, said that Davie had started to pay attention to Mrs McLeod last February. The defendant had spoken to his wife and Davie, and warned him that if the attentions did not cease proceedings would be taken. The defendant had regretted his conduct and had sent a letter of apology to the chairman of the Welcome Home Committee.