ASSAULT CASES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 5 July 1920, Page 3

ASSAULT CASES.

A FAMILY QUAEREL. At tlio Stipendiary, Magistrate 's Court at Otaki on Thursday last, a farfily quarrel,' involving five charges of assault, occupied a very lengthy hearing. William Cootcs proceeded against Claude Pike, Mick Cuddens and William Giddens for this alleged offence, while similar charges •were preferred against William Cootcs j by Louise Giddens and Edith Pike, Mr j Staveley appeared for Cootes, and Mr Atinorc for Mcsdames Giddens and j Pike." The live cases were heard to- | gcther, all the defendants pleading not « guilty. j William Cootes, sworn, stated that he I resided in Otaki and had a wife and | two children, and when not away working lived with his mother-in-law (Mrs Giddens). For 20 years he had not been idle more than three months. When he went home on the evening in question ho was told by his wife that j she had been accused of the theft of a spoon. His wife said it was hers andj j bore her private mark. Her mother! said the spoon was hers, and my wife j said she had better take it, as shel,| could afford to buy another, and that] Mrs Giddens could not. The latter saidj if that dirty black mongrel paid thej rent she would be able to do so. Wit-1 liess went and saw Mrs Giddens and, asked the cause of the trouble, and said every time he went out she went to her daughter and tried to make a row. He said, "If you want the spoon you can have it," and with this he threw it oh the table and said, "There, take it; I can buy spoons, perhaps you | can't." With this she jumped up out of a ekak, came towards him, and said, | "No, you dirty black mongrel, I can't; but if you pay me your rent I'll buy spoons too." She 3uid she had bee., keeping the lot of us and that we paid nothing. He asked what he owned and naid lie would pay straight away, She said "No, you dirty mongrel, yon won't pay, anything." He said "You're a bar." and that he could show receipts for all hi, bills. Mn,!c Giddens then hit him from the side and cIOSP d with hi.... He tried to shove him oil, but failed. While they were tusslin" Pike arrived and hit him. lhcy tussled and then the'old man'came hj ,nd said, "It's yon. Bill Cootes isi it. you black b !" With that ke ihrev off his hat and coat and d.vcd into ■ Mm. Between the three witness «m thrown on the floor. While «°™ Mr Pike rushed in and got. on the top him and hammered at Ins head mthho. fist*. They all "put tho boot int him. while he struggled to get up. He Lt up once on one knee, and then Mick liddl kicked him on the k« Th * was the only timewitness got a „„ ck at -him, and he hit him. Wtall SW going ~ W -fc tried to save ££»Wg kicked in the head. Mr, Gidde»s held a chair over us head evatually he gol, away, and ran down the road, where he met lus brother a,. Mother follow. He was blood and told them Ike mob bee. "■.utting the boot into tam. inc J , with hin, and into h,s room. Tkere was no wgn ot ' ' tUe sa , n °' , STitM later Mick Giddens and ; Sb father arrived with Console SatheiW, then Pike .ante m. rke; W «S ke .onstable to arrest km H. SS. Witness drew the —bio' , mention to hi. state ,«*£*«* thought he would get so mm. . ■ , ToMrSta lS«el knocked about, : w ke he thought had got knooK . ,»a he said there was no doubt i l . Zt\ c one to get the worst ot th, ;

before. There ore no rent. Lvc been l-“J. k 'S, J „ slloW Wh ‘ lt y ™Less paid for board, bold purpose*-JVit 1 s a dirtv He never called Jur. oxcitold slut. Mrs Addons eu } able that she. goes mo < - Mk , k called Mrs Guldens a bar ber mo and closed me. thrust at Mich. lI.VC Joint- i» '«> “o ’"'' 0 b ;„ »«“ '* »°* ,S; wSVnioa f'.“S ” 01' o' rio null -irooii >“ wh- »« *»” « protection Iha t lipver take nicr-ht of the trouble. •• xmich drink —I cannot on accow accident, due to boxing. • Mrs W. Cootes. rvife of mionmant r« ” 0a " ZTSaZ load b“» M»! s^° 0L ‘ k - n rr« Her husband came to cause of the trouble, and then fr ck struck Cootes, and the Mick

pSocovered with blo^)wa^ 1 ™tTir=s was wearing at tne time. it al-st unpo-iUe jo F-c^ quarreling with her. St O«rg”° Stanley Sharp, medical Petitioner. eated: c^ina. «a>c came -. t m h\y knocked tton. He There were several about and bruised. facc an ,J re- ; sn:r l sW»*’: bruises could have bee jacks. The facial injuries could be fSSUIt of blOTTfb

ITo Mr Atmore: Some of the injuri* may have resulted from falls if he, fe on anything sharp. Constable Sa'therloy stated: I wa called to Giddens’ 'residence by Mr Gid dens about S or 9 o’clock on the even ing in question. 1 went into the kit chon and asked the ’cause of tin trouble, and there saw Cootes, and r “circus” resulted. Mrs Giddens, Pike Mick, and others all chipped in, and what I could gather Cootes had knocked Mrs Giddens or Mrs Pike over. They asked mo to arrest Cootes, 'but I could not. Cootes’ face was covered in blood, there was blood on his shirt, and also on Mrs Cootes’ blouse. Cootes asked mo to look at his appearance, and said they gave him no chance to defend himself. He must have been dealt with fairly severely. j To Mr Atmore: When I was there Bill Cootes was’ excited and appeared to have a grudge against Pike, calling him’ a b Hun. There was a deal of bad language. I know Cootes to be excitable —most Natives arc when put out. He has been mixed up iu assault I cases, and convicted of bud language. ! Mr Staveley objected to Cootes’ records being put in at this stage, and was upheld by the S.M. Mrs Giddens stated: My daughter said the spoon was hers, and I said she could have it. When Cootes came home i he called me names over the reiit owing, and in striking nt my son he (Cootes) fell on the table. He called me hard names. Recently I was very ill, and have not been well since. Cootes never told me I could have the spoon if I wante 1 it, and made no attempt to settle the quarrel. " 1 made use of'no bad language. After I was struck I went and lay down, feeling very sick. I saw very little of the row between Pike and Cootes. Mrs Cootes lias been very cruel to me. I have treated her well, and allow her the use of all my furniture. Cootes has promised mo rent, but has paid none. I have paid dll rent. When Cootes returned after tbo trouble he was accompanied by Front, Have, and Alice Cootes.

To Mr Stavelcy: I may Lave a hasty temper, and occasionally we have quarrels, generally due to my daughter. I have never cleared ray husband out of the house, and I have never sat on the doorstep with a poker in my haitd to prevent him going into tho house. Hick never struck Cootes till Cootes struck mo. When Ceotes struck at, Mick ho missed and fell, under the table. George Stanley Sharp stated: I have attended Mrs Giddens on and off for Jive months. She has a very weak heart, and about Easter she was in indifferent health. It would be decidedly dangerous for her to-be knocked about, and'n r«w of this Mature would be harmful to her. I told Mrs Giddens that she was not to get excited. Mrs Edith Pike corroborated Mr;; Giddens' evidence. Cootes struck her on tho chest, and knocked her and her baby (only 12 days old) over on the bed He also used very bad language to her. Cootes wauled to fight all the time, and called her husband a Hun. Witness' husband saw Cootes strike her. Mrs Cootes had caused a lot of trouble Ku the house. She was there during the greater part of the trouble, but did" not/! fee Mick, her father and husband ttli on top of Cootes. She had not struck Cootes. His injuries were caused by Calling over, and by banging hinuclf against her bedroom door. William Giddens said when he arrived home he found the row in pr»-

gross. His wife was just about done, and he was afraid of her health being affected. He grabbed hold of Co»t«s and threw him on the floor. Later Cootes tried to get iuto Pike'» bedroom, but witness dragged him back, and more trouble ensued. Later Cootes went away,-saying he would bring some of his "cobbers" back, and witness went for the consUblc. Mick Giddens said he saw Cootes strike his mother after an argument about rent, and also use bad language to her. He interposed, and Cootes struck him. Later Ceotes struck at him ao-ain, and he ducked, Coetes falling under the table. Afterwards more fighting occurred, and his father arryed and joined in. Clauds Pike deposed that he was in the kitchen when the trouble commenced, and saw Cootes strike Mrs Giddens on the chest. He did not see the trouble between Cootes and Mick Giddens commence. Witness went to his bedroom to got out of the trouble. Afterwards Coetes broke into his bedroom, and witness hit Cootes and threw him on the floor. He saw no one kick Cootes while ho was on the floor. He was not there all the time the row was

Mr Atmore said no doubt there had been'trouble between Mrs Cootes and Airs Giddens. and that the former had frequently caused trouble. The Coo.e. k „cw that Mrs Giddens was m a bad state of health, and tins alone >houl«< have been a deterrent to Cootes. Air Stavelev considered the stu.ne* of his counsels witness *J£*> and it was difficult to knew which n». was goine; to believe. The SAL considered Cootes guilty of striking Mrs Giddens. and his case, would be dismissed. Cootes in *»«- other cases would be fined 40s m eaeh case, and expenses £3 3s.