RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, GISBORNE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 990, 25 October 1881, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, GISBORNE.

Saturday, October 22nd, 1881. [Before M. Price, Esq., R.M.] Joseph Pickersgill, proprietor of the Isle of Mull Hotel, was charged with . having violently assaulted and beaten his wife on the 14th inst. Mr. Brassey appeared for the accused. Calvin S. Kenrick, deposed that he was a cools in the employ of Mr. Arthur. He knew the defendant and his wife and the hotel which they kept. He was there on the 13th and 14th of the present month. He saw a row, and saw the defendant raise his hand, and strike Mrs. Pickersgill, who fell down screaming. He noticed blood was flowing, he believed, from her nose. Witness got a horsa and put a side-saddle on it for her. She had a black eye. This assault-occurred on the verandah of the hotel. This is all witness saw, but he heard threats. He did not know when Mrs. Pickersgill returned to her home from Ormond.

By the Court: We were all rather under the influence of liquor. We were drinking over night, and began again early in the morning. Pickersgill was vexed when he missed his horse.

Frank Robert Arthur deposed : He was a sheepfarmer, and resided at Whatatutu. He knew the defendant. He was at the hotel on the 14th inst. He was told Mrs. Pickersgill had been assaulted, and was marked. Heard shrieks and went into the bedroom. Pickersgill had her by the hair, and witness took him off, and turned him out of the room. Pickersgill was hammering her with his fists. Kenrick was trying to get him off. Afterwards Pickersgill tried to assault her and witness protected her. He then turned on witness who protected himself, and Pickersgill assaulted witness in the bed-room again-, as Mrs. Pickersgill was putting on her habit. Defendant was drunk. Mrs., Pickersgill had two black eyes, and had lots of blood about her.

By Mr. Brassey: Mrs. Pickersgill was aggravating the defendant. He knew the defendant and had often seen him, but had never seen him drunk before this time.

Mr. Price, in giving judgment, said that in his mind nothing whatever excused a man who struck a woman, and he would, therefore, not impose a fine, hut inflict an imprisonment of three months with hard labor-.