COWARDLY ASSAULT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 245, 15 October 1937, Page 9

COWARDLY ASSAULT

YOUNG MAN GAOLED. [ Per Press Association. 1 CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 14. “The Court has neither patience nor leniency for dastardly assaults of this kind." The magistrate, Mr. Levvey, addressed these words to Mason Samuel Branch in the Court to-day. Branch, a single man, aged 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Horace Reginald Stokes, taxi-driver. He was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Branch claimed that he had been drinking prior to the incident and was not responsible for his actions. “This is quite outside the ordinary run of assaults," said Detective-Ser-geant Holmes. Stokes was on duty early in the morning of August 28 at 5 a.m. He received a call and picked up Branch, who wanted to go to New Brighton. Branch got in the back seat and conversed on various subjects. He asked Stokes to drive into a blind street, and complainant was just about to stop the car when he received a violent blow on the back of the neck. “Stokes was stunned for the time being, and when he recovered he saw that Branch was out of the car and making for the plantation.’* The detective-sergeant proceeded that some time later suspicion fell on Branch, and when he was interviewed he admitted the assault. His excuse was that he had been drinking and that he did not have the money to pay the fare. Branch was 21 years of age and he was receiving £1 a week sustenance and £1 a week for farm work. He had been before the Court previously for theft. “This was a cowardly assault and it might have had serious consequences," the detective-sergeant remarked. “It has caused quite a lot of concern among taxi drivers, who have to ply their calling through the night."