EVERY PROVOCATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 33, 18 December 1945, Page 5

EVERY PROVOCATION

ISLANDER ASSAULTS WIFE HEAVY COURT SENTENCE! An unusual state of affairs was in the Whakatane Police Court yesterday } when Harold Timani, a pacific Islander admitted assaulting his wife Maria Timani ; •on Saturday last sufficient to cause her to be admitted to the Whakatane Hospital. The Court experienced the unusual procedure of the police practically acting <ts advocates for the man concerned, who had been given according to evidence every provocation owing to his. wile's loose manner of living. Sergeant Farrell stated that for some time past there had been considerable disagreement between the -couple. Timani had been cautioned against the use of violence, but notwithstanding this had assaulted his wife to such an extent that her in- . juries necessitated her removal to hospital. There had been a great j - deal of trouble in tliie and ac»cording to reports from the locality, j accused's wife was of a particularly loose moral reputation. Accused had endeavoured to try and keep her 'straight and bad repeatedly discovered her lapses. "We are prepared .to said Sergeant Farrell, "that the case is unusual and that the accused felt every justification 'for* his act but in view of the fact that the woman is now in -and th>e complaints have, been lodged, we are forced to bring this action. The neighbours'were frightened that something more serious would hap- j .pen unless the.y were separated, j Accused who appeared to be a good type had nothing to say, wbcnj asked by the Bench to give an ex-j planation. He appeared to be quite uninformed as to his rights or privileges in Court. In sentencing accused to one month's goal, the Bench observed that the offence was a serious one, and that no man had the right to enact violence upon a female. The maximum penalty was six months gaol and accused would be warned to take better care of his wife, in future.