Too Much Liquor Led Man To Woman's Flat

Chronicle (Levin), 29 January 1949, Page 5

Too Much Liquor Led Man To Woman's Flat

• Press Associ'ation)

- (Pei

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 28. Neville George Russell, aged 31, a tlriver, pleaded guilty to a charge -of assaulting Nell Gveig on January 21 when he appeared before Vlr. Rex C. Aliernethv, S.VL, in the Magistrate's Coiirt today. Detective-Sergeant Alty said accused and his wife were friendly with complainant. Accused called at complainant's flat in Casliel Street about 8 p. huon January 21 and stayed until aboitt 10 p.m. He had had some liqucA and after he left the flat he consunied somc tnore. ' 4 He returned to the woman 's flat about midnight, ' ' said Detective Alty. "He said the front door was open and he went in. The flat was in yiarkness The woman sfUV hinl ahd screamed and there was some sort of a struggle anxl accused niade off. Ile was C[uite fr'auk about the whole matter when he wainterviewed by the police. After th; offence it was discovered that the te'e phone wires had beeh cut in a strem box about 50 yards from the flat, but there is nothing to eonneet accused with it." Detective Alty, said the womaii was not hurt. . ,4I know the Court js not influenced by newspaper reports, but this episode has received considerable publicitv," said Mr. R. A. Young, eounse) for Russell. "The report mentioned rubber gloves, but tiiere vrere in fact no rub ber gloves. Adhesive tape was also mentioned and it was suggested it eould have beeh used as a gag, but my inetructions are that accused saw it lying on the p'ath, gave it a kick and it partly unrolled. It was later found lying outsidc the flat. Accused had nothing to do with the chtting of "the telephone wires in the box. Had the woman knoWn it was accus'ed this thi'ng would never have happened. " The Magistrate asked whether the eomplaihant would have retrac'ted if she had know wlvo the man jvas. Det'eetive-Sergeant Alty said Miss Gfeig had no idea bf. accused 's objeci in returning to the flat, but had she known it was accused slie Would have reported it just the same because of the manner in which he entered the flat. The Magistrate: I am going to accept what the police and co'unsel have said-. Some of the faotl hooked sinister as they were reported but they have not that- aspe.'t this morning. It ap'pears that 5rou took toO much liq'uor and did a very foolish thing. I'am going to accept the fact that; you are not the type of man the evidence at first tended to indicate. If you had been it would be a different matter." Russell was ftned £4.