COURT NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1931, Page 3

COURT NEWS.

GIRL SEDUCED. FATHER OBTAINS DAMAGES. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association) GISBORNE, August 19. Damages of £2OO were awarded Charles Whitley a waterside!', against Sam Anderson, saddler, at the Supreme Court by a jury, for the seduction of the plaintiff’s daughter. The case was heard before Mr Justice Reed. The evidence of plaintiff showed there had Wen a sexual relationship between the parties for two years. The defence contended that a chill horn' was by another man. Previously in. the Lower Court maintenance was awarded the girl against Anderson', FAULTY . AUDIT. MONTEATH CASE. NEW PLYMOUTH, August 19. Charged with making a false declaration that he, personally, audited the trust account of H. J. M. Thomson, a solicitor, who had been sentenced for the theft of £BOOO of his clients’ money, Lawrence M. M. Monteath, Public Accountant, was acquitted by a jury to-day. It had been stated in the case for the defence that Monteath had relied on another accountant for a wrtam amount of the audit work. Mr Justice Blair, in. his summing up, said that it might be accepted that an auditor had to have a certain amount of assistance. The mere fact that the auditor used a certain amount of assistance would not make it untrue for him to say that he had personally conducted the audit, but the question arose as to whether the amount of assistance Monteath received was such as to make it someone else’s audit. Apparently, all Monteath did was to scrutinise the balances,

The verdict of not guilty was return ed in thrbe!hours.

TAXI DRIVER COMMITTED. , 'ON ASSAULT CHARGE. • WELLINGTON, August .19. •' Athol Gordon Ralph 'Buckley plead?, od guilty to-day'to assaulting Horace Eugene Waller, "so as to cause actual bodily harm and was committed by Mr Page, S.M., to the Supreme Court for sentence. The medical evidence was that the injuries were consistent with Waller having received a blow on the head and having then struck his head on the pavement. The story of the prosecution was that a taxi drew up alongside Waller and that the driver struck vVnF.er a blow, knocking him down. The accused said that Waller stopped in front of the car and although accused pulled up and blew the horn, ’Waller did not show any inclination to get out of the way. > When he was admitted to hospital it was stated that 'accused’s condition was serious and lie was unconscious for three days. He was in hospital for a month.