Youth Tells Story of Fight with Father

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 960, 1 May 1930, Page 1

Youth Tells Story of Fight with Father

VISIT TO WIFE’S HOUSE MAN SENT FOR TRIAL A youth’s story of a desperate struggle with his father brandishing an open razor, on the night of April 11. and of the latter's threats to cut his sons and his wife’s throats, was related to Mr. F. K. Hunt, SJf., in the Police Court today. Ernest William Armstrong:, an insurance agent, aged 49, who was charged with breaking and entering by night the house of Lydia Armstrong, with intent to commit a crime, pleaded not guiltj’ and was committed to the Supreme Cour. for trial. Xo evidence was offered by the police on a charge of assaulting Leslie Armstrong by attempting to cut his throat with a razor, and a charge of trespassing on his wife's property while separated from her by an order made on April 11 was adjourned. Detective-Sergeant Kelly prosecuted and Mr. Haugh represented accused. Since September, 1928. Mrs. Lydia Armstrong said, she had been living apart from her husband. On April 11 she obtained separation, maintenance and guardianship orders, which were consented to by accused. Her husband came to her home about 7.50 o'clock that evening and witness heard, him abusing her son outside, who did not re-enter the house until 9 o’clock. She locked all the windows and about 10 o’clock, while she and some visitors were sitting talking, she heard the glass door leading from the veranda :t to her bedroom crash in. Hearing her husband’s voice, she immediately fled from the house and phoned the police, returning with a constable. As she passed into the house her husband, who was sitting on the steps, remarked: “Lyd.. I’ll get you yet.” On hearing the door being brok.n, Mrs. Gladys Bishop said she locked herself and four children in a bedroom. In an angry tone accused, threatened his son. ‘lf I get five* months or five years for this, I will get you both yet.” Accused assert'd he would cut his son's throat with the razor ho had in his hand and demanded to know his wife’s whereabouts, saying: “Til finish her. toD.'* All the time accused used obscene language. Leslie Ernest Armstrong, 16-year - old son of accused, described a conversation with his father, who entered a grocer’s shop where witness worked about 7 p.m. After purchasing one box of matches his father returned and bought another and asked about.getting some trophies and two dogs. When witness advised him to get them through a solicitor, his father threatened to “get me and my mother yet.'* NEAR HIS THROAT

Rushing to the bedroom when the bedroom door crashed in, witness said he was confronted by his father, who, brandishing a razor, remarked, “move and I slash you with this razor.” Rushing at his father witness caught the arm with the razor, but his father tried to get the razor down to witness’s throat, and several times during the struggle was very close to it. At last witness’s call for help brought his two friends to his aid, and finally, when his father was overpowered, witness tc ok the razor from the prostrate man and threw it some distance away. His father said “Take this, or It will be your throat or my throat.” During the struggle his father’s face and hands were cut. He considered that his father had been drinking, but was not sufficiently affected not to know what he was doing. The struggle was also described by Clalvin Mack, a youthful plasterer's apprentice, who went to young Armstrong’s assistance. "Witness tackled accused from the rear, and Armstrong yelled, “I would like to know this man at the back of me. If I got by hands on him, I would slice his throat too." On arrival at the house, Constable Baker said he found accused with his hands bound behind him with a rope, .and the room showed signs of a. struggle. As accused was being taken, from the house he remarked to his wife.

“I’ll get you if I have to wait for ten years,” said the constable. Armstrong had taken the razor with him, he believed. He noticed no sign of liquor on accused.

Bail was fixed at £2OO, which De-tective-Sergeant Kelly said, accused was unable to obtain last time.