USE OF DRUGS ALLEGED

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28265, 1 May 1957, Page 7

USE OF DRUGS ALLEGED

Evidence In Rape Case (New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, April 30. The Crown alleged that accused had deliberately drugged a girl and then criminally assaulted her, said the Crown Prosecutor, Mr A. O. Woodhouse, when the trial of Alfred Lyle Andrew, aged 40, a traveller, began before Mr Justice McCarthy in the Supreme Court today. Andrew is charged with rape. Mr R. Stacey, of Wellington, is appearing for Andrew. On the application of Mr Woodhouse, his Honour ordered the suppression of complainant’s name.

Mr Woodhouse said the young woman was employed in Hastings On March 18 she had a telephone call from a man who said he was John Nolan. She did not know him, but he said he was the brother of a girl friend of hers. It was arranged that she and the man meet at a hotel next day. They did so, and at another hotel she had three gins, two of which the barman made light because she said she was not accustomed to drinking alcohol.

“In this bar there was some discussion of families, and then there was talk of gathering mushrooms.” said Mr Woodhouse.

Andrew and the girl drove off in a truck to the Pakowhai camping ground. He invited her to have another drink, but she said she did not want one. However, he poured her out a drink which she thought appeared to be cloudy. “The next thing she knew.” said Mr Woodhouse, ‘‘was that she was lying naked on a bed in what she thought was a hotel.” Evidence to be given by the complainant would be to the effect that the man then criminally assaulted her. The Crown alleged Andrew had placed a drug in the drink he gave the girl. Accused Arrested On March 26, when he was located at Stratford, Andrew told a detective that the girl had been quite a willing party and had been as drunk as he had been. The police had taken a book on midwifery and a number of capsules in a glass phial from Andrew. Mr Woodhouse said the only question the jury would have to decide was that of the girl’s consent. In evidence, the girl said that after two drinks at a Hastings hotel, Andrew suggested they go mushrooming, and they drove in his truck to Pakowhai: While she was sitting in the truck, he offered her another drink. “I said I had had quite enough, but he persuaded me to have anothef and he took two bottles from the side of the truck. Then he mentioned something about glasses and went round towards the back of the truck. ‘‘He gave me a drink, which seemed to be cloudy. I didn't want to drink much, so I tipped some of it out. Accused said, ‘Don’t do that, it costs money.’ ” Woke Up In Hotel Witness said she then remembered nothing till they reached the West Shore Hotel. “I woke up in a large bed. half sitting up, with nothing on. Accused had some soup there and he told me to drink it, as I had not had any lunch. I think I drank it all. Then, I think I dozed off again.” Witness said that while she was hazy and had little resistance, accused had intercourse with her, despite her constant request that he should refrain. After that, witness asked accused to get her clothes, and while he was out of the room she put on a dressing gown she saw on the end of the bed, and went out of the room. The hearing will be continued tomorrow morning.

McNally-Leckie Bout Cancelled (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, April 30. The professional light-weight boxing title contest between Joe McNally, the New Zealand lightweight champion, and Billy Leckie, the New Zealand featherweight champion, to be held in Dunedin oh Monday, has been cancelled because of an arm injury to McNally. The Otago Boxing Association is trying to get one of three boxers from Sydney to meet Leckie. and has booked a seat on an aircraft due in New Zealand on Friday. i It is the third itme the contest has had to be cancelled.