MAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

Southland Times, Issue 25747, 10 August 1945, Page 3

MAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

CHARGE OF INDECENT ASSAULT ON GIRL Edward Hansen, a labourer, of Invercargill (Mr A. Smyth) faced a charge in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday of indecently assaulting a female child aged six years eight months. He was committed for trial at the session of the Supreme Court to begin at Invercargill on November 30. Bail was allowed at £lOO, with one surety of £lOO. Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., was on the Bench. Senior Detective R. Thompson prosecuted.

Detective-Sergeant James Gibson said Ithat at about 7 p.m. on August 8, accompanied by Constable Cross and the father of the girl, he had cycled to the comer of Nith and Teviot streets. They made a search of the streets in the neighbourhood. The next day, accompanied by Constable Sharp, the witness saw the accused at the home of his brother-in-law, and questioned him in the presence of Constable Sharp. “I told him that the police had received a complaint that two little girls had been spoken to by a man in Nith street the previous evening between 6 o’clock and 7 o’clock and that one of them had been taken away on a bicycle and indecently interfered with,” the witness said. “I told him that I had good reason to believe that he was that man. He denied the allegations.” ACCUSED’S MOVEMENTS When asked to account for his movements the previous afternoon and evening, the accused had said that he spent the afternoon drinking in the Avenal hotel, and that he had remained there until 6 p.m., said the witness. After leaving the hotel he had gone to his brother-in-law’s home, arriving there at 6.30 p.m. In going there he had gone along Tweed street. After speaking to the brother-in-law, the witness had informed the accused that his brother-in-law alleged that he (the accused) had not arrived at the house until 7 p.m. or 7.15 p.m., and that the accused had then left and returned with a dozen bottles of beer. Accused had admitted having gone o”ut and got 12 bottles of beer. He had claimed the bicycle produced as his property and the one he had had in his possession the previous day. Later, at the detective office, the witness had told the accused that the two little girls and the woman who had supplied ice-creams would probably be able to identify him and that he proposed putting him up for identification. The accused had then admitted having spoken to the two little girls and that he bought them ice-creams. The witness had then told the accused that one of the girls had been taken away on a bicycle and indecently interfered with. The accused had said that he had no recollection of having done that, as his memory was not too good because of shell-shock. He had said that if he had done it, he had no recollection of it. Continuing, the witness said that the accused had declined to make an explanation in writing until he had seen a solicitor.

The two little girls gave evidence. Both identified the bicycle produced as the one used by the man. One of them said that the accused was the man who had given them ice-creams and who had taken her friend away on the bicycle.