ASSAULTED MAN WAS TO BLAME, SAYS S.M.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 14

ASSAULTED MAN WAS TO BLAME, SAYS S.M.

CONVICTION ENTERED IN WELLINGTON CASE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 2. Eugene Doherty, alias Halfarthy, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-day with assaulting John Tray nor. Traynor said he went to a house in Ngaio on Sunday afternoon, March 9. in company with Mrs Doherty, another woman, whose name he did not know, and Thomas Ridout. They were listening to the gramophone when Doherty rushed in. The next thing witness knew he was kicked in the face and about the body. After washing his wounds he went outside to find out the reason for the attack, but Doherty hit him .on. the head with _a .tomahawk,

f knocking him down. On the first occasion witness met Doherty, he asked witness to get a room for him. “Doherty • had given his wife a black eye,” added witness. Witness said that he and Doherty had been fined £1 each for fighting in the street, which was the result of Doherty knocking his wife about. Witness thought Doherty had harboured a grievance against him ever since. Doherty said he was a ship's fireman and went to sea under the name of Hugh Halfarthy. Several months ago he had a fight with Traynor over his wife outside the Terminus Hotel. He told Traynor and others to keep away from his wife. As a result of some information which he received when he returned in his ship from Westport, he went out to Ngaio for his wife, whom he found to be under the influence of liquor. Traynor struck him and there was a scuffle inside the house. Traynor was stopping him from seeing his wife. Outside witness knocked Traynor down, but did not strike him with a tomahawk. The Magistrate said he thought it was clear an assault had been committed by defendant, but it was his impression that the man assaulted was largely responsible for the trouble and had brought it on himself. He proposed to convict Doherty. In view of the fact that Doherty had been in custody since his arrest in Auckland on March 21 he was convicted and ordered to pay 1 expenses, 15s.