ASSAULT CHARGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 18, 26 October 1943, Page 5

ASSAULT CHARGE

FRACAS AT OPOTIKI DRUXKKX MAORI SOLDILTfS A jmmber of Maori soldiers re turning to camp from the has! Coast district were responsible Jo a very ugly situation at the. Nev Zealand Railway Road Services of /ice on Friday afternoon,, says Ihi Opotiki News. They had been drink ing considerably on the journey through, and as a result were in jt vary wild condition late in the. afternoon. When the manager of tlu office had occasion to question tin Maoris about an airman's coat,whicl: was missing one Maori seized Mi Alexander from behind, a second Maori, seized the manager around the throat while the third struck liim a solid blow across the mouth inflicting a deep cut. The police were quickly on the scene, with the result that three of the men were arrested and, taken to the Police Station, One of them, Hamuera Rogers aged 27 years* of Jerusalem, was charged that on October 15 he assaulted. Victor Jame-s Alexander. Messrs C. Pipe and C. F. Hanson, Justices, were on u )c bench. Accused, who pleaded guilty, was represented by Mr ].;. c. ]£ ast# Sergeant J. Isbc.ster, who prosecuted on behalf of the Police, said that on the day in question the service cars came; through from Gisborne carrying about fifty Maori soldiers. Nearly all. of them left for Kotorua by the mid-day car, but a few hung around town all day drinking and making a nuisance of themselves. Mr Alexander, manager of the service car office, had occasion to question the men about the theft of a coat. Two of the men grabbed Mr Alexander, while another struck him a violent

[ " blow on the. mouth. When the police t arrived there, there was an ugly situation. They arrested accused and two others and took them to the Police Station. The other Maoris c went along to the station and threatened to burst the cell open. c Sergeant Lsbester stated that he got J in touch with the Army authorities in Rotorua, and three buses were - sent over to take the Maoris aw a? s and they would be dealt with by t the military authorities. Consider-, 1 able damage was done to Mr Alex-. f ander's clothing. A fountain pen t valued at 35s was broken, while a , shirt valued at. 15s lid, a pullover x valued at £2 ss ; , a tie at 4s Gd and _ a sports coat at £3, were, badly -, damaged. "Accused is no stranger , to the court." said Sergeant lisbesI tcr, "and he has a previous record. His conduct is no advertisement to the Second Maori Battalion, and he is a disgrace to the uniform he is wearing." Mr East said that accused had ' been in camp, and was on the way back to Rotorua after being on • leave. He was accompanied on the journey from Ruatoria by his wife and child, but had spent his time » drinking. At Gisborne the. Maoris • had obtained a parcel of beer which ; they had taken on the service car. > When they were questioned about - the overcoat they got. excited. Mr >■ East said that whatever penalty the • court indicted, accused would also be dealt with by the military authorities. In reply to a question by the bench, accused said that he was prepared to make restitution to the value of £8. The bench, in convicting and sentencing accused to six week's imprisonment, warned him to leave his lighting until he got to the front.