Man Guilty of Indecent Assault

Chronicle (Levin), 5 February 1948, Page 3

Man Guilty of Indecent Assault

The story of a aiileteen-year-old girJ being chased down a lonely road just outside Palmerston North by a man in a ct^r and of a light between the two on the same road at an early hour of the morning, was told in the Supveme Gourt at Palmerston North yestcrday before Mr. Justice Ghristie. The case was one in which Noel James Keid, timbcrworker, aged 23, of Palmerston North, was charged with assaulting a giri of 19 on or about October 9 with intent to commit rape, indecently assaulting the same girl, and assaulting her on the same date. Mr. N. K. Bain appeared for the prosecution and Mr. A. M. Ongley for accused. In evidence the girl stated that she had met aceused at a dance in Palmerston North on the night in question. yhe left the dance with friends and accused was in the party. It was her intention to walk home with a girl friend, but accused had ofL'ered to drive thein home in the car. Six people, including accused, •entemd th-e- ear which was a small sports model. They had driven to a pie-cart in the Square and here accused had an argument with an-

other man in the ear and another man naiued Waddell had oft'ered t-o take her and her girl friend home. They were driving towards Broadway when Reid stopped them in his car and told witness to get into his vehicle. She did so and botli cars went to Awapuni after stopping at an hotel in the city. They had been going to take another member of the party, Boreham, home to Awapuni. They stopped inside the gate of the stables at Awapuni, but she refuaed to get out of the car. She said she wanted to go home and accused said he would take her there. He stopped the car at the end of either College Street or Parlc Road. There he altered the slope of the back of the car seat and tried to push her back on to it, trying to kiss her and interfering with her ciothing. She tried to push him away and pulled his hair. He hit her in the face. She called out and aceused apologised. She told him she wrnnted to walk home, but he would not let her get out. He told her if she was going to walk home she would have to walk a lot further. Then he told her he would take her home. Accused drove down Fitzherbert Avenue saying hc wanted 'to see if the light was on at his mother's house. He drove across the Fitzherbert Bridge and drove up C'liff Road. She asked him to let her out but he did not aiisvvcr so she opened the door and jumped out while the car was going quite fast but was uot hurt1. She rau back along the road. Accused stopped his car and chased her. He caught her and pushed her agc&nst the bank. She screamed and he said he would ' ' iix her. He went back to his car and she rau down the road ■ and hid in the long grass. He passed in the car and she saw the ear crossing the bridge. After liiding for about 15 minutes she sought kelp at a house and was sent home by taxi. She had given Reid no encouragement.

(Jhai'les Osborne, janitor at Massey Agricultural College, gave evidence of eomplainant knocking at his door and stating that she had been molested by a man in a car. She had appeared very distressed. The bottoin of her frock was wet but her clothes were not disarranged. Det.-Sgt. J. G. Long described an interview with accused in .which Reid admitted liaving a girl with him near Fitzherbert Bridge on the night o± October 8. He had kissed her four or hve tinies and she had objected to further kissing, leaving the car. _ He had not left the car but ' had driven olf. He loolced but could not see her on* the way home. This concluded the case for tlie proseeution. ln evidence accused said it had been arranged at the dance that they would afterwards attend a party at Awapuni. On arriving at Awapuni he had sujggested they go for a drive. and the girl agreed. They stopped in Park Road where he smoked and ate a pie. They had kissed but he did not interfere with her ciothing. They had driven to ClifP Road and after a while she had alighted from the car because sh.e wished to go home. She had gone ofO down the road. He turned the vehicle axonnd and went to pick her up. She could not b.e f ound. He had then driven back

to town. To Mr. Bain accused said he had not interfered with eomplainant. They had merely kissed. The whole object of the drive was. to haye a few kisses After a retiremeiit dfcM minutes. thft jury returned with a verdiet oi guilty on the^ charge of indecent assault an'd not guilty on the other two charges. He was remanded until 10 a.m. on Friday 'morning for sentence.