PASSER-BY HEARD WOMAN SCREAMING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19241, 1 December 1930, Page 6

PASSER-BY HEARD WOMAN SCREAMING.

CHARGE OF ASSAULT LAID AGAINST A RABBITER. Screams from a house in Peterborough Street on Saturday attracted the attention of a passer-by to a domestic disturbance. As a result, Strella Frederick Guy, a rabbiter, aged 39 years, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court this morning with assaulting Mary Murphy, a married woman, at w’hose house he boarded. The accused was convicted and sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment, with hard labour. Mr E- v D. Mosley, S.M., was on the Bench. . Sub-Inspector P. J. O’Hara conducted the case for the police. Complainant did not appear. Leonard Smith, a labourer, said that he was passing along Peterborough Street at 8.45 p.m. when he heard a woman scream and a noise as if furniture was being knocked about. He took little notice of the matter at the time and had nearly passed the house xvhen he heard screams again. He turned round and saw a woman in the garden with blood streaming from her nose. He gave the woman a handkerchief and took her out of the premises to the side of the road. Then he saw a man on the other side of the road and called out to him to ring for the police. Constable Chibnall said he was called to the premises at 74, Peterborough Street, at 9 p.m. and saw Mrs Murphy there. She was in a state of hysteria and complained to him that Guy had knocked her about. Guy, who was present, said that they had had a friendly argument. Mrs Murphy said that she had been hit by a chair. The constable said that he had had a look in the house “and there was broken crockery and blood all over the place.” Constable Chisnall added that the woman had marks on her face where she had been struck. Accused, in the box, denied striking the woman. He said that on Saturday afternoon some people came round to the house and had a few drinks. He himself was late home from work in the afternoon. Mrs Murphy became hysterical, tipped over a table and upset all the contents, threw crockery round and fired a chair at him. She then went out on to the street screaming. He was not drunk himself. Mrs Murphy’s husband was in the house. “You say you did not strike this woman?” asked the sub-inspector. “Not at all. I was sitting back on a couch w r hile Mrs Murphy was carrying on and I was getting all the bombardment.” Is it the first time she has complained that you have assaulted her?—She had me up here twelve months ago. You are a boarder at the house, I understand?—Yes. What was the condition of the husband. Was he sober?—Yes. And Mrs Murphy?—She was not sqfrer. “ Fourteen days’ hard labour,” said the Magistrate when Guy had returned to the dock from the witness box.