TAKAKA.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13480, 27 July 1912, Page 6

TAKAKA.

POLICE CASES

James McFarlane (Mr. Hay&s) was fined £3 and costs 7s, for supplying liquor to C. E. Sigley, a prohibited person.

E. v Gillan<lors (Mr Hayes) for procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order, was fined 7s. Accused had been lined, at Motueka on another charge.

Arthur Cann and James Keilly were fined for permitting cattle'to stray on the roads. Mr. Hayes appeared for the county ranger. : AN ASSAULT CASE. Mrs Sarah Stubbington (Mr Houlker) v. Lizzie Nicholls (Mr Hayes): an information for assaulting the 9 year old daughter of informant by striking her with the open hand.

Mr. Houlker called Mrs. Stubbington and three of her children, who stated that the Stubbington children were coming no me from school with the Nicholls children, and when near home (both families were neighbours) Mrs. Nicholls, met the children in the road, and slapped the smallest Stubbington child (a girl aged 9) in the. face, and shook her, and pushed her into some gorso lying by the roadside. In cross-examination by Mr. Hayes they admitted that quarrels between the two families of children had been frequent, and that the school teacher had arranged for their leaving school at different times, so that they would not go home together.

Mr. Hayes called Mr. and Mrs. Nicholls and two of their children, who denied that Mrs. Nicholls had hit the child, but had merely shaken her. They also stated that the Stubbington children had been, hitting them that day. The children, who were very small, gave rather a confused story.

The Magistrate held that an assault had been proved. The matter had arisen out of a children's quarrel, and it was to be regretted that it had ever readied the- Court. Children would always quarrel, and other means could be taken to prevent annoyance. He gavotte defendant the option of paying £1 Is solicitor's costs to the other side, and a dismissal of the information as being a trivial matter, otherwise he must record a conviction. The defendant undertook to pay the costs, and t-hb information was dismissed. A counter information for assault against Mary Stubbington (aged ®) was withdrawn.