"Grab His Watch "

NZ Truth, Issue 1213, 28 February 1929, Page 5

"Grab His Watch "

I CALLED for help and while they were, attacking me I dis- , tinctly remember hearing the wor,d,s: "Grab his watch." Kneebone m evidence. iiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiimiiiiiiiimimtiiiiutiimiiiiiitimiiiuiiiiimiiiiiiiumii

' The evidence of Brophy was on much - the same lines as that of Palmer, but he added that when he asked the two men if they knew anything about the robbery, they replied: "What's that got to do with you?" They also said they, knew nothing about it. Detective Albert Allen gave evidence as to the identification parade and swore that both Easton and Kneebbne identified McKenna and Siddens. Sid-! dens said: "They've picked the wrong man this time." Taking his place m the witness-box, McKenna denied any implication m the assault and robbery; he had met a man near the city markets who had asked him to buy a coat and two hats for £1, and it was while this attempted sale was taking place that the two gatekeepers came up.Asked to give an account of his movements that night, McKenna told Mr. Meredith that he had spent most of the time m billiard - [ rooms, and when he was going . along Sturdee Street at a late hour ! it was with the intention of calling on a Mrs. Woodroffe m Patterson Street. He had never met Siddens before, said Stephen Walter Carter, who is a His Alibi Proved contractor under the P.W. Department, but he had sat next to him at the Kilonis-McCarthy wrestling bout at the Town Hall on the night of December 10. Siddens's father gave evidence to the effect that his son had attended the wrestling match at the Town Hall, and the jury found m his favor. When McKenna appeared for sentence counsel put up a strong plea that the recommendation of the jury be given effect to, as the prisoner was virtually a first offender and had not used any weapons. If one of the assaulted men had made use of his fists lie could have settled the man then and there. He urged probation. Before the accused was sentenced, Mr. Meredith remarked that this was a matter of a serious nature. T*he public must be protected while waiting for ferry-boats, arid they had every right to expect that protection. Two men had been craftily set upon and robbed with violence when they were alone, observed Mr. Justice Kennedy, and such crimes were serious m his opinion. The public must be protected; the streets and wharves must be made safe for men as well as women. He inflicted nine months' hard labor on McKenna on two counts, the sentences to be concurrent. 1 fIDHW^^