SIX WEEKS' GAOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 116, 13 November 1939, Page 9

SIX WEEKS' GAOL

ASSAULT ON GIRL

INCIDENT AT EXHIBITION

For assaulting a little girl, at the I Centennial Exhibition on Saturday night, Richard Samuel Thomas, aged 55, a blacksmith, was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court todaby to six weeks' imprisonment. In imposing sentence Mt: J.. H.\; Luxford, -S.M., said" that-such: inter|e£e^c&. w^ be /allowed^ an^. r' that: -anyone who-;-iii- •■ tempted it:; would- be severely punished. Thomas;' he..remarked,'.'..clearly' Had a strain.in him which- was-.not. normal..

.-, • Thomas '.-pleaded "guilty! to -the" charge arid" also to ■ a ,'chabrge -of rusing; indecent language,' on;which ;lie. wSs. cohvicied arid;''discharged., ''■'./, •"../.."' ".", /■' . . v , '_■■,._

Detective-Sergeant -■-. :W;...: McLennan said that at 7 pjn,—on Saturday the defendant was •seen: &t<.the -Exhibition wi"th: h. little girl Whom He; had "bailed

lip'.',-in. a"'''corner'./'She, was crying. and the attention; b|,the police; was drawn to the: incident hy-people nearby. :-Th"e girl'had only! just arrived'in Wellington for the .Exhibition. The .defendant had made indecent remarks to her.

Mr. H. R. C. Wild submitted that the assault was only a technical one. A group of soldiers in a slightly-intoxi-cated condition were making the defendant, who was also slightly under the influence of drink, the btitt of tl^eir remarks. He had made no indecent suggestion to the girl, his talk being more in the nature of. funny remarks about him and the soldiers being intoxicated.

b "There was nobody close to the girl and no soldiers were in the vicinity," said Detective-Sergeant McLennan. The girl was "bailed up" in>" a corner where she could not very well getaway.

Mr. Wild said that there was no suggestion that the defendant was detaining the girl there, nor did he make any indecent suggestion.. He had previous convictions, but his troubles were caused by drink. He had recently been granted probation for theft.