RAZOR ATTACK

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21243, 14 October 1940, Page 9

RAZOR ATTACK

ASSAULT ON WOMAN CHEMIST SENT TO GAOL (By Telegraph.- Special to Tim**) WELLINGTON, Sunday A chemist, Edward Henry Golding, aged 37. was sentenced by Mr Justice Ostler in the Supreme Court to three years’ hard labour on a charge of assaulting Ida Winifred Whitelaw with a razor in the Masonic Hotel, Wellington, on September 20. Golding. for whom Mr A. J. Mazengarb appeared, pleaded guilty. Mr Mazengarb said prisoner was a man of attainments, having qualified as ;* chemist in Auckland, where he had been retained by a brewery f n as an advisory chemist. He had been drinking on the morning of the day the offence was committed. ’’You are a man of some education and ability.’’ said His Honour, addressing prisoner. “It has been said that this woman is not of very good character, and we can assume this to be the case. That, however, is no justification for slashing her with a razor. Such an action must be punished severely in the interests of human life. “You attacked her so seriously as to slash her. and if it had not been lor the men in the bar she might have been killed. 1 must regard this as a very serious offence. As a matter of fact you are fortunate that you were not charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, as you should have been, and your sentence would then have been heavier. You will be sentenced to three years’ hard labour.”