VIOLENT SON

NZ Truth, Issue 1108, 24 February 1927, Page 7

VIOLENT SON

Attacked His Father With A Table Knife (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Rep.) With a blind rush the enraged .son hurled himself at his aged father, threw him to the ground, pummelled and punched him and then — -seizing a table knife — raised it once and then poised the weapon again. DUT m that moment the sound of ap- *"^ proaching footsteps was heard and a possible tragedy averted. As a result of the scene Charles William McDonald, of Christchurch, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. The victim of. the brutal onslaught was Alexander Francis McDonald, aged 71, and it was a graphic story he told Magistrate Mosley when his son was charged with assault. The injuries the old man sustained, while not serious, necessitated a week's treatment m hospital. . Describing what, had occurred, the old man told a remarkable story of unwarranted brutality-. _ _ But this much can be said m mitigation. The son, who is 39 years old, is subject to epileptic fits and had been an inmate of Sunnyside Mental Hospital a few years ago. "I was.going to have breakfast," related the old man to the bench. "My son was m the kitchen, and I went to get some milk for my breakfast m the dining-room. \ -"Although there was a can of milk on the kitchen table, my son followed me back into the dining-room. He collared me, threw me on the floor and then got down on his knees. "Mercy, how he pummelled rhel I sang out to the girl to get someone. Then he got me by the ears ■ — like this, and bumped my head on the floor until I was exhausted. "He, then drew, a knife from the drawer and scratched the blade up riiy chin, which I kept down on my collar. "Then he pushed the knife down, one — lite that, and two when- he heard footsteps and threw the knife back into the drawer. The girl was coming round with assistance. ..' ' MUST KEEP AWAY "Four times he has assaulted me and he jostles me m the backyard whenever he gets close to me." Lawyer Hensley, who appeared for the accused, obtained an admission, from a medical witness .that nagging would cause McDonald, junr., to bevery irritable. . ■ Counsel urged that the best course would be to separate the father from his son. A brother was prepared to take him. The accused had been a week m Paparua, during which time he , had three fits. ; Remarking that it was only on account/ of the fact that- accused suffered from fits that he would be leniently treated, the bench convicted McDonald and ordered him to t come up for sentence if called upon within twelve riaonths. on the condition that he kept' clear of his aged parent.