HUMAN JACKAL PUNISHED

NZ Truth, Issue 1197, 8 November 1928, Page 9

HUMAN JACKAL PUNISHED

Detention For Depraved Dunedin Salesman

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.) It seems that there is no limit to the occasions on which a demon of depraoity will turn himself loose. That a man should exercise his \Vile. solicitations by ensnaring a child fresh from her Sabbath day tuitions make a crime the more hideous. But this is what Clarence Wilfred Dudley did when he seduced an eleven-year-old Dunedin girl recently.

HOWEVER, Dudley will pay the price for his indescribable misdemeanor. After pleading guilty m the lower court to a, charge o£ indecently assaulting the young girl, Dudley was sentenced to eighteen months' reformative detention by Judge McGregor at the Dunedin Supreme Court last week. Dudley, a salesman by 'occupation, aged thirty-nine, occupied rooms m Marshall's Buildings, Moray Place, Dunedin. On the afternoon of September 30 he spoke to the child and gave her some cigarette cards as she entered to attend a Sunday-school class held m another part of the building. ' The evidence of the child's mother was to the effect that the parents dropped the child at the corner of Moray Place and Stuart Street, it being customary for them to do. so when out for a Sunday drive, and then call for the child on the way home. Witness was. home about 4.15 p.m. when her daughter arrived home from Sunday-school. "She just flew into my arms," stated the mother, m recounting the child's condition and conversation on her arrival. The child was very nervous, excited and crying, as she had unfolded her unhappy experience to her mother. ' ' ■ t ' "Oh, mummie, when I was waiting for you a man came and dragged me into his flat," was the first intimation of what had happened. W ; heri the child had told witness that it happened .m the same building as her Sunday-school, the mother asked: "But didn't you scream?" The. girl-re-plied : "I did, but he dragged me un the stairs." - : ■ . ! The child, m evidence said that before going 'to Sunday-school Dudley had given her some cigarette cards. y "Alter school I was standing outside under the verandah, when the man came along and said : to me: 'Come along with me, little girl.' ' I went to. scream, but he put his . hand over my mouth and pulled, me .up the stairs to his room." . ■ . . ■ . The girl then described the locality of the apartments. When near the door of his rooms, the man said : "I have got something to tell you."' He then- took witness inside ; and. released his hold of her as he locked the door behind them. . .' The' child could not identify the man m the dock as being the one; who, assaulted herj she thought he had a moustache (accused being clean-shaven).

The girl then recounted her experiences when m Dudley's room. To Lawyer White (acting for Dudley), the girl admitted that she knew it was wrong to go with a strange man to his rooms, She maintained that she did- scream, but not all the way along the passage, because she was: too frightened. "Where was your Sunday-school teacher? Wasn't . she still m ;the building to ; hear your screams?" asked counsel. The child admitted that : the teacher was still m the building, although she did riot know it at the time. Detective Russell gave evidence of having interviewed accused, who stated: "I was tempted arid did interfere with her clothes, but I did not do anything else." Accused rendered and signed a statement to this effect. : Medical .evidence, was , m showing that the child had riot suffered any physical harm. When Dudley appeared for sentence before Judge McGregor . at the Supreme Court, Lawyer White pleaded hard for a term of proba- ■■■ tion* : - ■ v. ■■ / ■-.'' ' '' ' ..■-•- '• : -' ■/ "Accused, is a married man with three . children," counsel remarked, "and is. separated from his wife. He was born m India. He. was engaged m Red Cross work for a considerable period m: Dunedin during . the war and prior to, his enlisting, and those with whom he came m contact speak very highly of his past character."; ; Touching- ,on the girl's evidence, counsel • observed that though his client had . admitted", the offence of (indecent assault, the suggestion that he had dragged the giirlalong'thepassage was a exaggeration. Furtherriiore, counsel asked that his honor take irito consideration the fact that the girl failed to identify the accused when he stood m the dock m the lower court..

. Accused, had received a serious Injury to one of his eyes during the war, and there was every possibility of his subsequently be- , coming totally blind. . :.=. ; "I do not think it would be , right for me Xo grant prpbati<jn,|:' pronounced .the judge.. "Young girls must: be-pro-tected; And there is noi doubt thataccused committed the assault, although not perhaps m the precise manner , the girl. has" stated!" . . :• Accused was sentenced to iß,months' reformative detention, .the. authorities to attend to 'a medical examination of hiis eyesight.' '..••_■ '■ ■'■ ■■;:>•,■'•;' '•■ . \ -- '< -■■" :