Forty Beer Man Beats Wife In Moving Truck: Calls It Self-Defence

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 27, 5 March 1948, Page 5

Forty Beer Man Beats Wife In Moving Truck: Calls It Self-Defence

Dick Haua, Paroa farmer, was fined £ls for having been drunk in charge of a motor truck and £5 for assaulting his wife, Charlotte Haua, on the evening of February 20. He had to pay medical expenses, £2 2s. Mr B. S. Barry conducted the defence for Haua, who pleaded not guilty, said he wasn’t drunk and only hit his wife in selfdefence. Haua’s driving license was cancelled, and he was prohibited from holding one for 12 months. Constables R. F. Julian, W. T. McMath, Sergeant A. B. Collinge, and Dr. R. N. Akel all gave evidence that Haua was “under the influence,” but not in an advanced state of intoxication on the night in question.

Lloyd S. George, who was in a vehicle following Haua’s truck out of town that evening said the driver of the truck was thrashing a woman in the cab, and finally she fell out, bleeding from the face. The truck was “all over the road.” When the witness remonstrated with Haua for striking the woman he said, “I’ll b well do it to you too.” Mrs Haua said her husband started hitting her after an argument. She tried to defend herself with a shoe, but that was no use and she jumped out, receiving injuries to 'her arm and head.. Haua, in evidence said his wife hit him over .the head with a shoe when he refused to let her out of the truck. He said it .would take about forty beers to make him drunk. He only had about seven on the day in question. He said he only hit his wifq once, in self-de-fence.