SUPREME COURT.-Criminal Sittings.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 517, 6 September 1871, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.-Criminal Sittings.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6.

[Before His Honor Sir Gcorgo Arney, Knight Chief Justice, and a Common Jury] His llonou took his seat ou tho bench at ton o'clock.

Assault. — Henry Downey, a miner, was arraigned upon un indictment under the Criminal Oflonces Act, charging him with assaulting Constable McCaffrey, and inflicting " nctual" bodily barm. From the evidence it appeared that the constable found tho prisoner kicking at the doors of tho bowling alloy in Shortland, at 2 o'clock in the morning of the 23i\l of Juno. Told the prisoner lie ought to bo ashamed of himself. The prisoner was drunk and disorderly, and the constable took him to the watch-house. While being searched, tho prisoner, who is a powerful man, seized the constable's hand, and " turned it back," breaking the middle finger of tho left hand.—Sergeant Evers, walcli-houso-keopor at Shortlaud, confirmed the statement of the constable.—Dr. Selh Sam described the nature of the injury caused to the constable—The prisoner called a Mrs. Clark as witness, but she could not speak to any of the circumstances of tho assault.—The defence was that the prisoner was knocking to get into his own house, when he was taken into custody by tho constable.

(Left sitting.)