BRUTAL ASSAULT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 442, 17 November 1908, Page 3

BRUTAL ASSAULT.

Attempted Murder of a

Constable.

A Terrible Experience.

Sentence of Twenty Years’ Imprisonment.

Auckland, November nth

The hearing was continued in the Supreme Court to-day of the charge against a tall, powerfullybuilt man named William Richard M’Leau, of having, atTaumarunui, on 30th July, attempted to murder John Maher, the local police constable. Further counts were preferred against the prisoner of having assaulted the constable on the same occasion so as to cause actual bodily harm and of having used obscene language. Accused, on the date in question, was a passenger by the train which arrived atTaumarunui from Auckland at 6.50 p.m. During the journey be behaved in a disgraceful manner, and on gelling off at Tauraaruuui was observed to be carrying a case, evidently containing whisky. The King Country being a no-license district, Constable Maher, who was on the station platform, followed the prisoner, and as a result was murderously assaulted by him. The constable, in his evidence, said he asked prisoner if the package was labelled as required by the Licensing Act, M’Lean wanted to know what that had to do with him, and used all sorts of vile language, Having exhausted his vocabulary in this respect, he informed witness that 1 ‘ one of these mornings ” he (witness) would find himself dead, in a sack weighted with lead, at the bottom of the Wanganui River. Witness asked him his name, but he refused to give it. He further added, “ It would take more than you and Murphy to arrest me.” Just then two persons passed. Witness informed the accused that he would not allow him go further as he must arrest him for the obscene language he had used. With that the accused dropped the package he was carrying, and made a rush at him. Witness tripped the accused and he fell. "I’M GOING TO MURDER YOU.” On recovering himself M’Leau drew a whisky bottle from his pocket and endeavoured to hit witness over the head with it. He, however, missed his mark, and then closed with witness. After a short struggle he threw witness into the ditch at the side of the line in which there was water. He fell on top of witness and straightway put his hand into witness’s mouth and tried to_,dislocate his jaws. Witness ullSSitely got the man’s fingers out, accused then tried to tear his mouth oat. He said, “I have got you now, you . I am going to murder you.” All the ' time he was trying to force the wit- | ness’s head under the water and hold it there. Mr Tole ; Did you call out ? Witness: I never had a chance. ! I was nearly drowned when I succeeded in getting his hands out of my mouth. He then seized me by the throat and again endeavoured to force my head under the water. I succeeded ultimately in getting clear of him, and crawled out on to the bank. The accused then tried to drag me back into the water. CONSTABLE DISABLED. Finding that he could not do this he jumped up and kicked me on the left side under the heart, with the result that he disabled me. Continuing, witness said that accused then kicked him about the face and head and tried to strangle him by using the strangle hold. Fortunately witness knew the stopgrip and prevented him from attaining his object. He again kicked witness about the face and head, and then, turning witness over on his back, attempted to gouge his eyes out, saying, “I’ll tear your eyes out.” Witness by this time was almost unconscious. He heard accused say, however, “ If I can’t settle you this way, I’ll cut your throat, and when you are dead I’ll put your body across the the rails so you’ll be cut up by the engine, and nobody will be any the wiser.” He then felt in his pockets, evidently for a knife, and the next moment went away. The accused returned later with a piece of timber. He struck witness with this, saying, “ I’ll murder you.” IIMELY INTERVENTION. At the sound of voices M’Lean desisted in his efforts, and walked, away. Witness added that he was confined to his bed for nine days, and could not resume duty until well on in September. He was unable to eat any solid food for three days he was deaf in his left ear for three days, and his right ear for nine days, and he was also unable to see out of his left eye for a considerable period. He was satisfied that accused, but for the arrival of assistance, would have killed him and placed his body on the rails as he had threatened. If accused had given his name the whole trouble would have been averted. VERDICT OF GUILTY. After a great quantity of evidence, the jury retired at 5 p.m. to consider their verdict, and at 6 o’clock returned with a verdict of “ guilty on all counts.” The prisoner, who was considerably excited on being asked whether he had anything to say, made , a lengthy statement, in the course ; of which he said that Maher pretended to him that he was a civilian. He had not gone tar, however, when Maher caught hold of him. With that the speaker

turned round and dared Maher to do it again. “ I said,” declared the prisoner, “ Do that again and I’ll knock your ear off.” Hearing Maher rattle something which sounded like a lemonade bottle, he tackled him and a struggle ensued. He admitted that in the course of the fight he caught Maher by the throat and also put his fingers in his eyes, but declared that he only did this by exercising the bridge hold. “ I had,” said the prisoner in conclusion, “no need to use a stick. I closed with him several times, and threw him down like a rat.”

His Honour : It seems that you have been already convicted of a crime which must have involved considerable violence, from the nature of the sentence. Prisoner : Yes.

His Honour; You were convicted at Wellington on 23rd December, 1903, for the crime of robbery, which necessarily involved considerable violence. It must have been very bad for a youth to have got five years’ hard labour.

His Honour went on to state that there were also a number of previous convictions against the prisoner, which involved violence. “ Prisoner at the bar,” continued his Honour, impressively, “that you deliberately attempted to murder Maher it is absolutely impossible for me to doubt.” Prisoner: Do you think, your Honour, it would be necessary for me, if I had wanted to kill him, to have used a stick on him ? I claim to be the New Zealand catch-as-catch-can champion wrestler. His Honour said he could not argue with the prisoner. His past record was one of violence, and that he should continue to be at large was a source of great “TWENTY YEARS.” “Already in your heart,” continued his Honour, “ you are a murderer, and it is only by good fortune that you are not at present receiving the last great sentence of the law.” A sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment was then passed. Then followed a sensational scene. The prisoner suddenly became Irienzied. He struck at all and sundry, and made desperate attempts to escape. It took no less than fifteen police to overpower and carry him, struggling and cursing to the cells. The prisoner is not unknown in the Eoxtou district.