RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4508, 1 September 1875, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Tuesday, August 31. (Before J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M.) DRUNK. James Kerr, charged with habitual drunkenness, was fined 205.; or, in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. Patrick Kenny, on a charge of being drunk and incapable, was dismissed with a caution. ASSAULT. Amelia Emma Vincent was charged on the information of her husband with assault and violent behaviour. She had previously beeu charged with being of unsound mind ; but the medical evidence did not sustain the charge. N. Vincent deposed that he was the husband of the defendant. He returned home at 5 o’clock, when defendant used very violent and abusive language towards witness, and afterwards threatened him with an axe. He then went for the police, and the defendant was taken into custody. On his return, ho found that all the windows were broken, and everything in the house was smashed. Witness had been treated in this way for the past seven months. He asked for the protection of the Court, as he believed that the defendant was incorrigible. Robert Vincent deposed that on his return home, and without any provocation, the defendant rushed at him and scratched his face with both hands, and that she was in the habit of throwing knives and forks, &0., at him. The Bench regretted that the doctors did not see their way clear to commit her to a lunatic asylum, as her conduct seemed to show that her mind was deranged. As some restraint on her conduct, the Bench bound the defendant over to keep the peace for six months in the sum of £2O, with two sureties in the like amount. Coats to be remitted. The case of Dentittlo v. Niohol for assault, was adjourned until Thursday, to allow for the production of witnesses. LARCENY. Edward Hughes was charged on the information of George Turner with stealing a silver watch of the value of £i 10s. George Turner deposed that he was a cook on board the Teviotdale, and that he met the prisoner on the previous evening about eleven o’clock at the Prince of Wales Hotel, His watch was in his waistcoat pocket. He missed it directly he left the hotel. A shipmate pointed' out the prisoner as the thief, but he denied having taken it. He was then taken to the police-station and searched. He saw the watch taken from the prisoner by a constabls. It was broken from the chain.

John Fleming, constable, arrested the prisoner opposite the Pier Hotel. Searched the prisoner at the station and found the watch concealed in a comforter which the prisoner wore round his neck. The prisoner made a rambling statement to the effect that he and ten men more were drinking the previous night in the hotel when a man wearing a tall hat gave him the silver watch in question, and as he was intoxicated he took it. The Bench sentenced the prisoner to six calendar mouths’ imprisonment, Awith hard labor. A. Kuate, a Maori, was charged on the information of Waretehi with committing an assault upon him and with robbing him of the sum of £2 10s. Waretehi, the plaintiff, deposed : He was living at Mason’s, at the Hutt. He is working for Mason. He knows the prisoner who works for Mr. Mason too. On last Saturday we were coming towards Corbett’s publichouse. We stopped gome time at the publichouse and had some beer, and prisoner followed him out of the public-house; when away from any houses he heard the prisoner coming up behind him about ten o’clock. He struck him in the neck from behind and knocked him down. He struck witness with his fist, and he fell on his face, the prisoner falling on top of him. The prisoner struck him several times with his fist, and tried to take his money from him. Witness had about him in his left-hand trousers pocket £2 10s., a sovereign, a note, and four half-crowns. Witness felt the prisoner's hand in his pocket taking his money. The prisoner knew previously that he had the money about him, and he asked witness at the public-house to give him some money, and he gave him seven shillings. After the assault witness demanded of him the return of the money. Prisoner refused to give it up. By Prisoner : Witness was not drunk that evening, and he was told to go home because he was asleep in the public-house. Witness was positive that the prisoner took the money. Tutawhia, a Maori, corroborated the statements of the plaintiff. The prisoner reserved his defence. The Bench committed the prisoner to take his trial at the next session of the Supreme Court.