Motorist Abused and Struck by Trio of Street Brawlers

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 103, 22 July 1927, Page 1

Motorist Abused and Struck by Trio of Street Brawlers

MOTHER ALSO ATTACKED THREE men, who attacked a motorist who had been courteous and forbearing to them yesterday in Victoria Street, learnt their lesson m the Police Court to-day.

HTHE men were George Wells, aged 33, William Daniel Aitchison, 29, and William Laurence Bowler, 37. They were charged with assaulting the motorist and his aged mother. Wells alone pleaded guilty. The complainant said that when driving down Victoria Street the three men stood in the middle of the road and made no effort to get out of witness’s way. He had difficulty in avoiding them. When he had passed them they called out, and. thinking that one might have walked into the back of the car, he pulled up and went back to see. The men became abusive, and Wells, who wanted fight, knocked him down. He got up and pinned Wells by the arms, but one of the men felled him again. The old lady, who examined accused closely in the box, identified Aitchi-

son as the man who had struck her. Bowler, the only one of the accused to give evidence, said that he was sober, but the other two were drunk. Wells faltered and the car nearly struck him. “I thought the motorist came back to apologise, but instead of that he was like a Jack Dempsey looking for fight,” said witness. Aitchison, from the dock, admitted that he and his companions were a “little bit noisy.” “Would you make the fine light?” he asked the magistrate. Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M.: There might not be a fine. Wells, who had a list, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, and the other accused were each fined £5, in default one month's imprisonment.