DRINKING BOUT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 94, 7 May 1937, Page 7

DRINKING BOUT

■PrcB# iaBociation.)

Altercation With Beer Bottles SEQUEL IN CGURT

(By ToIejfrapH-

ATJCKLA^B, Bfcst Nigbt. A drinking party aii wkidii t&refl inen and three tr'oinen Tirere obticerned Iast December led to one of the riitoj Frederick Eay Corbett, a seainan, aged 19, being cfearged before Mr. Justico Callan in the Suprome x Couft Yvith gravely issaulting tone of tiie women. ®he chafgto wds of doihg aetual bddily harm to Elizbbeth B'eatxico Rulh'ford, with alternative counts of assault so as to caiise actiial bodily harm and assault. The Crown Brbslee'utor, Mr. V. R. Meredithj repfOsehtod tfee CroWn and ilr. Dickson condutoted the dofence. Mr; Meredith saict Mrii. Rushford was & widb'wr55 yearl oi aiS; On the afteriioon oi Becembtor 22 shb and twb dther women, and three ihen Went io a room in an apattment housft with some beer. Her stdry was tdiat ittccused violently essaulted h|r> striking her with a beer bottle ahd trying to chokb her. The injuries she received wOro seritous. & a st'dtfcmehl to |ke polico accused said h'e discovered his watah was missing, and he lost his teinper with the woman when she abused hina, said Mr. Meredith. Wihen .he f bund she iri s seriously injured, he ttolephontod an ainhulance. Giving evidence on his own, behalf, accussed said he saw Mrs. Rushford slip something into another woman's bag. Before the other woman went away he missed his watch, and when he accused Mrs. Rushford of taking it, she "came at him. ' ' He struck hei very lightly. He dehied Having hit the wpmah •tvith a bottle. ''She was very drunk," Ihe said. "We were all very drunk." The jury teturned after ftn hour n ask wh'at would be t1i8 effect oi a tider asking for the utmost leniency 011 the ground that accUSed had acted under provocation. His Honour said the word provocation had not been heard befoTe in the case and the jiiry shoula eonsider i'ery earefiilly before using it. Provocation. was not a itogal dfefence. Self-defdnce Was oiio thing and provocation anothqr. After two houTS the jury returhed a verdict of hot guilty, ahd ^ the emotion&l htoe'ne "#hich fhit started among the women in Jhe Conrt^ haS to he snppressed by ordbriies. AcdiiSed was disoharged.