CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3786, 13 April 1875, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Tuesday, April 13. (Before His r Worship the Mayor, and J. S. Hickson, Esq., J.P.)

Drunkenness.— Matthew Hay, John Dennison, Alexander Smith, Donald Bremner, and Charles Mercer were each fined ss, with the alternative of twenty-four hours’ imprisonment; Robert Duncan for being drunk on the railway premises, 10s, or forty-eight hours’. Charge op Stabbing.— John William Belin was charged by Bobort Bird with stabbing and wounding him with a knife on April 12,—Mr Harris defended. —Prosecutor (on the charge being said : “It was as much my fault as it was his.” He was then sworn and added that he was a laborer living with accused. They had been drinking together yesterday —in fact it was a drunken squabble. Accused had no intention of doing what he had done. He was cutting' tobacco with the knife and did not mean to strike him.—Mr Harris could not see how the proceedings could be taken any further.—The Ben ;h considered prosecutor’s conduct most extraordinary, he having first signed the charge, and then pursued the action which he was now taking.—lnspector Mallard: His statement to the police was altogether different to what he now states.—-Prosecutor then, stated that when they reached the corner of Union and Castle streets yesterday, he struck prisoner, but could not say whether the blow was returned. Prisoner had a knife in his hand, and was cutting tobacco. They tussled, and both fell, prisoner underneath. Witness felt something strike his head. There was a hole in his head, apparently a cut. — Insp. Mallard; Now put your head down. Is that a cut on your head?— Witness: Yes, but it's not as big as it looks.—By Mr Harris; Witness was drunk when he signed the charge. He believed the stabbing was purely accidental, as he and prisoner had always been on the best of terms —Mr Harris remarked that a charge of common assault could not be sustained. Prosecutor had no desire to press the charg a , but had been forced into the proceedings.—lnsp. Mallard said that a murderous weapon having been used, the police considered it their duty to interfere.—Angus Cameron, grocer’s assistant, saw the squabble between prisoner and complainant. Both men fell, and accused swinging round his arms, the knife went into prosecutor’s head, which bled profusely. Accused was off his balance at the time.—The Bench considered the affair to be. the result of a drunken squabble and dismissed the charge. They regretted that complainant and prisoner had not been charged with a breach of the peace, as then both might have been punished, and received their deserts. Breach op the Bailwat Regulations.— John Munro, for jumping into a carriage at Port Chalmers on April 3, when the train was in motion, was fined 10s and costs.