TWO MAORIS GAOLED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 257, 13 January 1941, Page 5

TWO MAORIS GAOLED

ASSAULT ON GIRL

CASE AT OPOTIKI

At the Opotiki Police Court last Friday before Messrs W v T. Burrett and C. Pipe, J.P's, two S. Gerrard, aged 24 and Thos Tamiti, aged about 20, were charged that on December 21 at Waiawa, they assaulted a female. Both pleaded

guilty.

Sergeant J. Isbistcr,, who eonduct- ' eel proceedings on behalf of the 1 police, stated that both accused were labourers. On Christmas Eve they visited town and went home in George Edwards' lorry. On the back of the lorry were the accused and some other men and the girl involved in the case, aged 15. The girl's aunt and a small child were in the front seat of the lorry. The accused were very rowdy on the way home. One of the accused seized hold of the girl and the other accused put his hand' over the girl's mouth. Some of the girl's clothing was pulled off. As soon as the lorry stopped, the girl, who was crying and bleeding from the nose told her aunt what had happened. The police considered the offence a serious one, and that an example should be made of the accused.

The bench told the accused that they took a serious view of the offence. The assault was an aggravated one and it was time they were taught to respect the girls in the district.

The accused were then sentenced to six months,' 1 imprisonment with lard labour.