Young Son Fights With Armed Father

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 965, 7 May 1930, Page 10

Young Son Fights With Armed Father

PARENT ON TRIAL • STRUGGLE IN BEDROOM A struggle with his father, who was armed with a razor, was described by a youth to Mr. Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court today, when an insurance inspector, Ernest William Armstrohg, was on trial on charges of breaking and entering, with intent to commit a crime, and of assaulting his son. It was alleged the affray occurred at his wife's home on the night of April 11. His wife had been granted a separation order. Mr. Meredith prosecuted and Mr. Dickson defended the accused. The 10-year-old son of accused, Leslie E. Armstrong, described how his father visited a shop where he was employed about 7 p.m. on April 11, and purchased a box of matches. Returning later, his father started an argument over some trophies and left threatening to "get” witness and his mother. The youth detailed how later his father had broken into his mother’s bedroom, and brandishing an open razor" threatened to slash witness if he moved. When he closed with him and grabbed his father’s razor-arm, the latter endeavoured to bring the weapon down to witness’s throat, liis father was overpowered with the aid «>f two of his friends who were in the house. His father, who, he said, seemed to have liquor but was not drunk, told witness to take the razor from his hand or it would cut witness’s throat or his own. SUSPICIOUS OF CONDUCT Under cross-examination, witness s.iid he was aware- that his father’s suspicions of his mother’s conduct were the cause of quarrels. Papers for divorce proceedings had been served on his father the same day as his mother obtained a separation. Mr. Dickson: You have always taken your mother’s side?—Yes: and you want to see your mother smacked in the face and stamped on. Witness agreed lie had struck his lather on the head with a torch, opening up a wound, but did not remember hitting him on the mouth, where a wound had to have four stitches. Two youths, Galvin Mack and Robert Pitt, and Mrs. Gladys Bishop corroborated the description of the struggle and of accused’s threats. i. onstable Baker described accused's Mounds, when taken from the house where he had been overpowered and ;his hands tied behind him. HIGH POSITION In the witness-box, accused said he had held a high executive position in t anc * G. Insurance Company from J J?2 to 1928, and at various times held the position of champion inspector of Australasia. In 1928 he went to Australia, his wife continuing to live in -Mount Eden, it being arranged she should follow him overseas. He addressed letters to his wife to Mount Eden, but on returning last year he could not find his wife at the former home, but discovered her working in the City. On his return in 1929 he did not live .with his wife again. NERVOUS BREAKDOWN I Ce went to Hamilton, where he had nervous breakdown and was in hospital twice. Later his wife obtained a separation order, to which he consented. he offering her £2 a week, but his wife accepted £l. The evening the orders were made ho drank Jour glasses of stout and three bottles of beer before going into the shop where his son worked. He asked for two ornamental dogs to be handed over, and witness declared his intention of getting them at any cost. He sent a telegram to his wife in these terms: "Take a big ‘spot’ tonight. . . . Bet I have my way tonight,” which he explained referred to the fact that his wife took liquor usually when she retired, and "Bet I have my way” referred to his; intention to continue investigations. Returning home ho undressed and then put on other clothes and went to his wife’s house, discarded his boots and crept on to the verandah in his stockinged feet. He listened at the door of her bedroom, and on hearing murrnurings inside, he knocked on the glass and broke it. Someone unlocked the door and he received a blow on the head from a torch, but could not see his assailant. He drew’ out the razor, which he had placed there in the morning, but had 1 ergot ten it was there. He was struck two more blows on the head end dazed, and was seized from behind and overpowered. He declared he could have inflicted serious injury to his son, but had no intention of doing so, nor did lie attempt to. Witness ■'vent to the house to gain information concerning his wife’s conduct. WIFE WORKING Ho denied under cross-examination that his wife had to go out working because he was drinking most of his earnings of £lO weekly. After coming under the influence of the Salvation Army in Melbourne, he wrote to his wife in deeply self-accus-ing terms, deploring his wickedness and cruelty. He also added that lie started to pray but continued to take liquor. "Beer and prayer did not harmonise.” remarked his Honour drily. He confessed that the day he returned from Australia he struck his wife. His wife considered it was a crime for him to take a drink, but she now did so herself. His Honour: She’s been converted to your way of thinking?—Not by me A suggestion by Mr. Dickson in an address to tlie jury that the Crown was out to get a conviction was strongly objected to by Mr. Meredith, and his Honour declared that if any cases were conducted fairly in New Zealand they were here. "It is a most nnwarrantable thing to put to the jury,” said the Judge. Counsel apologised for the .statement.

During his summing up, his Honour referred to th • aspersions cast upon Mrs. Armstrong's character by accused. There was not a shred of evidence against her, the Judge said. On the other hand, there was the letter written by accused in which he praised his wife and called himself a mongrel. The jury retired at 1 o'clock.