ALLEGED ASSAULT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3692, 17 September 1927, Page 3

ALLEGED ASSAULT.

STORY OF INFATUATION.

MAN SENT FOR TRIAL.

Auckland, Yesterday.

The infatuation of a ship’s’ engineer for a young married woman, which ripened after a shipboard acquaintance in December last, was a fact connected with the appearance of Milrok Thomas Smillie (23), in Court this m'orning, charged with assaulting Sophia Shepherd on /th September so as to cause actual bodily harm. The complainant, Sophia Shepherd, a woman of nineteen, said she was married about eighteen months ago at Wellington. At present she resided with her mother. After hei marriage she went to South! Africa with her husband, a vaudeville artist, 'She subsequently left him, and in December (travelled from Sydney to Wellington on the Malieno. Voyaging across she met Smillie, the fifth engineer, with whom she had several conversations and dances aboard. On arrival at Wjeljlin&ton, Snijillie saw her off to Ohakune. She corresponded with the accused after going to Auckland with her parents, but two weeks prior to his arrest she wrote saying that she did not think any man would make her happy. Five months ago she stayed with the accused’s people at New Plymouth, going under the name of Leoni Shepherd, her stage name. Smillie left the sea five months ago while she -was on tour with the Stanley M‘Kay Company. On 2nd September, Smillie called at her mother’s home, when witness asked him not to call again. Nevertheless, Smillie called every morning and evening until 7th September, on which day lie' arrived at 8.30 a.m. He assisted her mother to hang a picture. She di’essed in her mother’s room because she was afraid Smillie would follow if she went to her own room. When she came out she did not answer his question. “Why don’t you speak to me?” and he struck her on the head with a hammer. Witness said she thought the blow was accidental, because Smillie once said that he would never hurt a hair of her head, but the accused exclaimed, “Oh, God, what have I done?” He had a sheath knife or dagger in his hand. The accused had°a mania for collecting knives. He wanted to summon a doctor and told her mother he would do himself in if he had hurt her. Smillie w&s committed foi v tii& • Bail was allowed in the sum of