LEGED INDECENT ASSAULT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2504, 9 November 1922, Page 2

LEGED INDECENT ASSAULT.

TWO EOXTON EASES. At the Palmerston Supreme Court n Tiie.-day, before His Honour Sir oln: Salmond, a man named Leonrd Richard McAllister stood his rial mi a charge that, on September !, at Eoxfon, lie indecenlly a-snuj-cd a girl 10 year- of age. A -ccond Large, that of common assault, ois al-o preferred against accused, '.'lit, was represented by Mr Cooper, he ease for the prosecution being milleted by Mr Oram. In presenting the ease for the 'rown, Mr Oram -aid that the girl | sad been playing willi a number of I iitic girls at Eoxton, when accused •.11 ain 1 1 1 ed the olteiicc complained >f. The evidence of the child, her -i-tcr. a playmate. Constable o'•oii(,L’liiit‘. of Eoxton. and Dr. MylV. ;ii—i, i.f Eoxton, was taken. Eontable o'Dnnnghne gave evidence iat accused, when charged, denied he a llegod oil cnee. The defence called a native nam'd Prentice. ' Counsel for the prosecution and Icfenoe then nddre-sod the jury at -oui" length. Hi- Honour, who followed, stressed I lie need for protecting children from crimes of this variety, and reminded the jury of the imperative need to obey the dictates of duty. It. was dear that the injury to the child had been committed by some- ] cue. Hi- Honour then traversed | the evidence, saying that either the little girl'- statement was quite true ur deliberately untrue and concocted by her. Tie dealt at some length with the evidence for I lie defence, about which In* said he bad bis own opinion, and left it to the jury to form theirs. After a short retirement the jury returned with a verdict ol guillv <d indecent assault. A ecu- *d wa- remanded for sentence till HI a.m. to-day. EIETEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY CHARGED. A lift pen-year-old boy named George Alexander Lockwood was arraigned on charges of indecent and common assault on a girl five vears of age, at Eoxton. on October 1 (i. Mr Onglev appeared for accused. the rii-c for the Crown being conducted by Air Oram. Mr M. 11. Oram -aid the case was comparatively 'simple. The little girl lived with her parents in Fox(,,n. and when passing the house where the accused resided the latter called her in without any apparent reason, where lie undressed her, (•it! reason and faking her into the bathroom where lie undressed her, and subsequently sent her home ngain. Evidence was given for the prosecution hy the child alleged to have been assaulted, her molher and Constable Owen, of Eoxton. The defence was that the accused had noticed the little girl crying and took her into the house to wipe her hands and face, after which lie had sent her home with the advice in it to loiter on the road. In summing up, His Honour said that tin* jurv could only concern themselves with the facts of the ca.-c: I here was no more reason why -yinputlty should he extended to the accused and his parents than to the lit He girl and her parents. If there was an element of doubt, the jury should not convict. The question raised hy the defence that the -lory of the girl was incorrect, His Honour held as a weak supposition. The defence Imd staled that proha lily the mother of the girl had suggested certain things to her child regarding accused's behaviour, am! I his might be a plau-ilde hypo-the-is. bill in the circumstances ii was -carcely probable that that was the reason why the girl had stated that the accused had undressed her. After a short retirement, the jury returned with a verdict of guilty on the charge of indecent assault, with a strong recommendation of mercy on account of the youtlifulncss of the accused. On the charge of common assault, a formal verdict of nor, guilty was returned. SENTENCE PASSED. Palmer-toii Xorlli, This Day. Coun-el for McAllister called medical evidence to prove that defendant had been affected by injuries to the head during Hu* war. Hi- ‘Honour called attention to Ab-Aiii-ier'- pa-I record, and sen-iL-iK-.-.l him ill ..Ilf yi'iirV imprisonment. His Honour, in Lockwood’s ease look into consideration his youth, and after pointing out the seriousness of his crime, placed him on probation for two years.