CHARGE OF ASSAULT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 37, 22 January 1946, Page 6

CHARGE OF ASSAULT

MAN’S ATTACK ON WIFE

FOUR MONTHS’ HARD LABOUR

At tlie Opotiki Courthouse before Messrs. F. J. Short and C. Pipe, Justices Charles Grace, a Maori re-i siding at Omarurautn, was charged that on January 13 at Omarumutu, he did assult Matchacre Grace. xVccused pleaded guilty.

Sergeant J. Isbister who prosecuted, stated that at 5.00 o’clock on Sunday morning accused’s wife came to his residence in a taxi her head and face being ■'covered with blood. She was so weak that she could hardly get out of the taxi. The police went to accused’s house and found the bedroom covered with blood. The children told them that accused had gone to another place but when they got there he was not there. ' He was hiding in the bush- and was later arrested Accused had ten children the oldest being not yet 15 years of age. All were receiving Social Security, and accused did no work living on Social Security derived from the children. The assault was a most violent one, the woman’s face being swollen and blackened. ' This was not the first assault charge, and Sergeant Isbister handed in a list of previous convictions. Accused's excuse was that he was drunk at the time. Accused had nothing to say.

. The bench t< ok a serious view of the case and convicted accused and sentenced him to four months’ hard labour. The bench remarked that since the previous assault accused had shown no desire to improve.