BRUTAL ASSAULT

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1928, Page 4

BRUTAL ASSAULT

further particulars

AUCKLAND. Jan. 23. I liere was a sensational sequel to a savage attack on a married woman in Lake road. Devoiiport. on Saturday l evening, the alleged assailant, John Costello, aged 48, collapsing in a polI 1 ice coll yesterday morning, and dying alter being taken to the Auckland Hospital. The victim of the assault was Mrs Stevenson, of Devoiiport. She got off a ferry boat with n friend and Ilie two walked towards home. They were billowed by Costello, who had asked to take Mrs Stevenson home. It is stated that Costello and Airs .Stevenson had been friendly for some time, but they had quarrelled. It is not clear what happened after th’s stage, hut on reaching the corner of Lake and Albert roads the woman was savagely assaulted, being struck three times over Llie head with an iron bar. The driver of a passing bus saw the woman lying on the ground and saw a mail striking her brutally. AYl’.eu the driver pulled hi.s bus up to go to the rescue the woman’s assailant fled. He was chased for some distance, hut disappeared into a quarry. Meanwhile, steps were taken to help Airs Stevenson. She was bleeding freely and was in a state of collapse. Subsequently. examination by Dr Rout, of Devoiiport. showed two bad scalp wounds. She had also lteen struck across the bridge of the nose. When the police took the matter up they searched for Costello and found him in bed at his boardinghouse in Victoria road. Ho was arrested on a charge of assault, and causing actual bodily harm, and placed in a cell at the city lock-up. When seen at 7 o’clock yesterday morning by a doctor. he seemed to be all right, but three hours later lie was in a fairly bad way. The doctor left instructions for him to lie taken to hospital. He died just after arrival. A post-mortem examination was ordered by Afr F. K. Hunt, S.M.. when the inquest was opened for identification this morning. It was stated that Costello was suffering from the effects of r. drinking bout