“HAVE YOU GOT ANY MONEY?” ASKED MAN WITH A PISTOL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19236, 25 November 1930, Page 8

“HAVE YOU GOT ANY MONEY?” ASKED MAN WITH A PISTOL

Witnesses Tell Of Sensational Incidents In Manchester Street.

WHAT he described as a drunken freak led William Robert Sharp, 30, a labourer, to threaten two people with an air pistol, and demanded money. The offence took place on November 20 in Manchester Street, at 2.30 in the afternoon, and was responsible for Sharp’s appearance before Mr E. D. Mosley in the Magistrate’s Court this morning.

“It was just a drunken freak; I had no intention of getting money at all,” declared accused, when asked to plead. George Samuel Wier, of Pendarves, said that on the date of the occurrence he was in Manchester Street at 2.30 pjn. He saw the accused, who was standing on a corner. Accused hailed him and said, “Have you got any money?” Witness said, “No.” “I’ll Shoot You.” Accused then said, “If you do not give me some I’ll shoot you.” Witness told accused that he had no money, and that accused had better see somebody else. Accused, during this conversation, pulled a revolver half out of his pocket. He did not touch witness. Later, witness saw a constable, and made a complaint. Witness saw accused go into an hotel, and later accompanied a police sergeant to the hotel and pointed out accused. The sergeant arrested accused, and* took the revolver from him. He had the revolver in his hip pocket. Saw Revolver. John Gibbs, a labourer, of 329, Wilson’s Road, said that at about 2.30 on the day in question he was in Manchester Street. He was walking along by himself when he saw the accused. Accused came across the street to him and said, “ Have you got any money?” Witness saw that accused had his hand in his hip pocket. He said, “ Not for the likes of you.” Witness saw a revolver sticking out of the hip pocket. " I got ready to give him a crack,” said witness. “I think he saw that I was going to bang him, and he cleared out across the road.” Witness later saw accused being brought out of the hotel in charge of a sergeant.

“ Did you think he was going to shoot 3*ou?” asked Sub-Inspector O’Hara. “ Looked Suspicious.” “ Well, it certainly looked suspicious,” replied witness. Accused had drink, but witness could not say that he was intoxicated. Asked if he had any questions to ask the witness, accused said, “ Well, I had a job to go to next day and I’m a bit unlucky to land here. There’s plenty of work about these days, I reckon.” Sergeant Ilodgins said that as the result of a complaint, he went to the Excelsior Hotel public bar. He saw accused at the bar, and went up and got hold of him. lie asked accused if he had a revolver on him. Accused said he had and witness put his hand into accused’s hip pocket and brought out the pistol. When questioned about the incident, accused said that he was only having a bit of fun, and that he had plenty of money of his own. He denied speaking to Gibbs at all. In witness’s opinion accused had taken a good deal of drink, but was not drunk. When he was in the station accused said the charges were a lot of lies, and that people were trying to get him into trouble. Came From England. “ This man has been on remand for a few days, hasn't he?” asked the Magistrate. “Yes,” replied Sub-Inspec-tor O’Hara. To the Magistrate, accused said that he was a single man. He had been working down the West Coast fin a pick and shovel job. He had been in Christchurch about a fortnight. He came from England, and had been in New Zealand for seven or eight years. “ I am not satisfied about man’s mental condition,” said the Magistrate. Accused was remanded till Thursday for medical examination.