UNUSUAL CASE

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1929, Page 7

UNUSUAL CASE

CHARGE AGAINST WM. BOBBETT. (By Telegraph—Press Association). AUCKLAND, October 29. The criminal sessions at the Auckland Supreme Court opened to-day. Judge Herdman, in his charge To the Grand Jury, said he did not think the list could be considered in any way abnormal. Usually there were twenty j or twenty-two cases. On this occasion there were twenty-five. William Bobbett, aged 36, was tried on a charge of wilfully attempting to persuade a woman witness, duly summoned by the prosecution, to give false evidence at the hearing in the Magistrate’s Court of a charge against Jessie Morris, of unlawfully using an , instrument. The Crown Prosecutor, I Mr Meredith, said Morris was charged on August sth. At that time a woman upon whom an operation had been performed was lying ill in nos- p pital. While Morris was on remand, the husband of the woman in the hospital received a letter signed, "Bill of Kaeo, long ago," making a direct request that he should suggest to his wife that she should not recognise Morris for the purposes of the trial. The letter pointed out that if the woman declined to recognise Morris, the proceedings must fail. ! Counsel for the defence said the accused was married with five children, and had hitherto borne an excellent, character. Morris was practically a stranger to him. It was a stupid letter, written by a man at the suggestion of his wife, who felt soriv.. Judge Herdman said the case was serious, because the wells of justice must be kept pure. If people were to be permitted to go about the country interfering with witnesses of jurymen or anybody connected with the administration of justice, then thcv might say goodbye to the administration of justice in the community, the detection of crime, and the puni.-m----mo’'b of offenders. The jury returned a verdict of guilty,, with a recommendation to merev. The prisoner was remanded until November Bth for sentence.