Married Man In Court

Waikato Independent, Volume XLV, Issue 1290, 28 June 1946, Page 5

Married Man In Court

OFFENCES AGAINST GIRL COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE In the Cambridge Court yesterday before Messrs R. S. Entwistle and K. L. Wilkinson, J.P.’s, Frederick George Wood, motor driver, aged 36, married with two children pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully carnally knowing a girl over the age of 12 years and under the age of 16 years on or about June 20, at Karapiro. He was committed to the Supreme Court, Auckland, for sentence on July 4. The case for the police was conducted by Detective J. Hayes, of Hamilton. The complainant stated that she travelled on the Karapiro-Cambridge bus driven by Wood, whom she got to know. After about two months she went to the pictures in Hamilton with Wood. After the pictures she went to Garden Place to wait for the late bus. Wood was there and he kissed her and asked her to go to the pictures in Cambridge with him. This she did a fortnight later, which would be in July or August of last year. A happening occurred in the ’bus afterwards in Alpha Street. Sfye met Wood again a fortnight later and the same thing happened in Cambridge before going to the pictures. She met him again by appointment in September. Wood was not driving the bus that night but after the pictures they went for a drive in his car. She described what happened in the back seat.

Complainant told him she was going £ to Auckland and she left on October 8. ‘ She was in Auckland for three months £ and during that time she wrote to j Wood once or twice. Wood answered one of the letters hnd sent a telegram to say that he would be coming , to Auckland. She met him at the Railway Station on arrival and they j spent the day together at DeVonport. } That night she took him to her room at Onehunga. Wood had asked her her age and she told him that she was ( not 16. She had met Wood on three occasions since returning from Auck- A land and the last time being about a month ago, after a dance at the Karapiro Hall. During the progress of the dance she went out for a drive in the j car wit/h Wood. She made no objec- ■ tion to events which took place: , The mother of the girl stated that r her daughter was born on June 14, 1930, and a birth certificate to this ef- < feet- was produced. The daughter had J been in ill health for about 12 months £ and at the present time was receiving * treatment at the Waikato Hospital. As a result of what her daughter told her, she interviewed' the police at Cambridge. r Dete’ctive J. Hayes detailed an . interview with the accused who madej* a statement that he had met complain- j ant when he was driving the bus be-1 c tween Cambridge and Karapiro. He became friendly with her and later certain happenings took place. Complainant was always willing and on * the first occasions he did not know, * that she was under 16. He learnt heri ® age when he went to Auckland to see her. The last time they met was at a 1 dance at Karapiro. He had had a few drinks that night. ! ,Dr. L. F. Johnston gave evidence ] "that he had known complainant for the past 12 months. She was not in good; health and would not be capable of more than light work. She had markedly poor physique and a bone deformity of the chest. When Wood pleaded guilty, he was coirimitted to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed on two sureties of £SO each. A SIMILAR CHARGE bench dismisses case A similar charge of carnal knowledge was preferred against Robert George' Adams, a married man, aged 25;i Wireman at the Karapiro Hydro, the complainant being the same girl as in * the previous case. Accused pleaded’riot guilty and was represented, by Mr A. G. Ward, of Hamilton. said she first met the accused ,at the Hydro early in March. They went for a walk on a Sunday afternoon and on the journey back they sat down on the grass in a paddock. Accused asked her a question but she refused. He said he was going to all the same. “My strength was not much good and he succeeded.” She walked part of the way home with him and told him she was going to tell her mother. This was the only time she was in accused’s company. She said she thought she told him that, she was 16. To Mr Ward, complain-j ant said she had been working at the j cookhouse at the hydi'o. She would be | 14 years 9 months when she started. She met many men during that time , and admitted the incidents which

occurred with Wood also, in one instance, with another man. On the afternoon she went out with Adams, they inspected the works. In the convei’sation, they spoke of ages, complainant being certain that she had not said she was 17. They walked as far as the reservoir, where Adams went to sleep. She sat down beside him. When he awoke they embraced each other. An event happened against her wishes.. On the oc- ■ casions they had met since that day,

they had been affable. Detective Hayes read a statement from the accused in which a candid explanation was given. Adams stated j that complainant had not objected to what had happened. He had been' given to understand that she was over 16. Mr Ward contended that the evidence was insufficient to warrant the accused being committed for trial. He pointed out that the age of the girl was on the border-line, and she cer-j tainly looked over 16. It was of importance that she had told Adams that she was 16. There had been no unwillingness on the complainant’s part and it could not be said that she was an unexperienced and immature girl. After a short retirement, the Justices announced that the case would be dismissed as in their opinion no jury would enter a conviction on the evidence heard.